Ceftaroline fosamil (Teflaro)

How Medicare covers it

Part B (injection/infusion given by a clinician — see the Part B basis in this package; the usual path for this drug). The Part D aggregation in this package is carried exactly as computed — the formulary file carries the injection concepts. Part A during a covered inpatient stay.

What it treats

Teflaro (ceftaroline fosamil) treats two serious bacterial infections: acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in adults and children (from at least 34 weeks gestational age and 12 days old), and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia (CABP) in adults and children 2 months of age and older. For skin infections it covers Staphylococcus aureus including MRSA, and for pneumonia it covers Streptococcus pneumoniae and other listed bacteria (for pneumonia, only methicillin-susceptible Staph. aureus).

What it is for, in depth

Teflaro is an intravenous cephalosporin antibiotic used in hospitals and infusion settings for serious infections caused by susceptible bacteria. It is prescribed for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including infections caused by MRSA, in adults and in infants from 12 days old (at least 34 weeks gestational age), and for community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in adults and children 2 months and older. It fits the treatment path when a strong IV antibiotic with MRSA coverage for skin infections is needed and culture results or clinical suspicion point to bacteria it covers. Teflaro comes as a powder in 400 mg and 600 mg vials; adults usually get 600 mg by IV infusion every 12 hours, with lower doses when the kidneys are impaired.

How it works

Teflaro is a cephalosporin antibiotic. The injected prodrug, ceftaroline fosamil, is converted in the body to ceftaroline, which kills bacteria by blocking the building of their cell walls. Ceftaroline binds strongly to penicillin-binding proteins including PBP2a, which is what makes it active against MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) — unusual for a beta-lactam antibiotic.

How it is taken

Teflaro is given by intravenous (IV) infusion in a hospital or infusion setting; it is not taken by mouth. For adults, the usual dose is 600 mg every 12 hours, infused over 5 to 60 minutes — for 5 to 14 days for skin infections and 5 to 7 days for pneumonia. Children's doses are based on age and weight and are usually given every 8 hours. The dose is lowered in adults whose kidneys do not work well (creatinine clearance below 50 mL/min), including patients on dialysis. It comes as a powder in 400 mg and 600 mg vials that is mixed before infusion.

Common side effects

The most common side effects in adults (more than 2%) were diarrhea, nausea, and rash; constipation, vomiting, raised liver enzymes (transaminases), low potassium, and phlebitis (vein inflammation) also occurred in about 2%. In children, diarrhea, nausea, rash, vomiting, and fever were among the most common.

Serious warnings

Teflaro can cause serious and occasionally fatal allergic (hypersensitivity) reactions, including anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions, and people allergic to other cephalosporins, penicillins, or other beta-lactams may be at higher risk. It can cause Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea, which can range from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis and can occur during treatment or weeks afterward. Neurological adverse reactions, including encephalopathy and seizures, have been reported, especially in patients with kidney impairment who did not get an appropriately reduced dose. A positive direct Coombs' test can develop during treatment; if anemia occurs, drug-induced hemolytic anemia should be considered and the drug may need to be stopped. Teflaro should be used only for infections proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria.

Who should be careful

Do not use Teflaro if you have a known serious allergy to ceftaroline or to other cephalosporin antibiotics. Tell your doctor about any allergy to penicillins or other beta-lactam antibiotics, any kidney problems (the dose must be lowered and unadjusted doses raise the risk of seizures and other nervous system effects), a history of seizures or other nervous system disorders, and any past C. difficile diarrhea. Antibiotics will not treat viral infections such as colds or flu.

Major interactions

The Teflaro label does not list specific major drug interactions that require avoiding other medicines, and it states that Teflaro should not be mixed with or physically added to solutions containing other drugs because compatibility has not been established. Tell the care team about all medicines the patient receives, especially other antibiotics and drugs cleared by the kidneys, since the Teflaro dose depends on kidney function.

Cost and saving notes

If this drug is covered under your Medicare Part D plan and the cost is high, you can ask your plan for a tier exception to pay a lower cost share. If you have limited income, Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy) can lower your Part D premiums and drug costs. In 2027, your total yearly out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs is capped at $2,400, and you can spread those costs out in monthly payments through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.

Why it is in its tier

Ceftaroline fosamil (Teflaro) sits on Tier 5 in 95.29% of the plans that list it (5236 of 5495 listing plans). Tier 5 is the specialty tier — instead of a flat copay, patients usually pay a percentage of the drug's cost (coinsurance), which is why specialty drugs feel expensive even with coverage. The data-visible drivers: It is sold both as a brand product and in generic form, and the CMS dashboard puts its average Part D spending at about $13,509 per beneficiary for 2024 — a high-cost drug, which matches where plans place it. It is listed by 100.0% of Part D plans. The tier shown is the most common one; individual plans vary.

Sources

• TEFLARO (CEFTAROLINE FOSAMIL) POWDER, FOR SOLUTION [ALLERGAN, INC.] — DailyMed
• MedlinePlus — National Library of Medicine
• MedlinePlus — Ceftaroline Injection

What official patient guides say

Ceftaroline is an antibiotic given by your care team through a needle or tube placed in a vein, not a pill. Each dose is infused slowly, over 5 to 60 minutes. For adults, the label schedule in this package is one dose every 12 hours, and a course usually lasts 5 to 14 days for a skin infection and 5 to 7 days for pneumonia, depending on your infection and how you respond. You will usually receive it in a hospital or infusion setting; MedlinePlus notes some people are taught to use it at home, in which case your provider will show you exactly how. Keep your normal diet unless your doctor says otherwise. You should begin to feel better in the first few days — tell your care team if you do not improve or get worse. Finish the full course even if you feel better, and do not skip doses. If a dose is missed, MedlinePlus says to use it as soon as you remember, unless it is almost time for the next dose; never use a double dose.

Source: MedlinePlus — Ceftaroline Injection

Part D formulary coverage

Source: CMS Prescription Drug Plan Formulary, Pharmacy Network, and Pricing Information Files — Monthly file 2026-10-15 (plan year 2027), file 2027_20261008.zip (data.cms.gov dataset ed1496ea-23e7-41f1-9292-172fa842ccfb): basic drugs formulary file + plan information file, both dated 20261031 inside the zip; downloaded and aggregated 2026-10-30. Medication RxCUI sets resolved through the NLM RxNav (RxNorm) API.

What you pay

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.

Sources: CMS Plan Benefit Package + formulary data; CMS NADAC · Checked 2026-11-07

Similar medications

Other medications in the same FDA pharmacologic class (Cephalosporin Antibacterial):

• Cefaclor
• Cefadroxil (Duricef and others)
• Cefazolin sodium injection
• Cefdinir (Omnicef and others)
• Cefepime injection (Maxipime and others)
• Cefixime (Suprax and others)
• Cefotetan
• Cefoxitin
• Cefpodoxime (Vantin and others)
• Ceftazidime (Tazicef, Fortaz)
• Ceftazidime / avibactam (Avycaz)
• Ceftobiprole Medocaril (Zevtera)

Read next

• Part D in 2027: The $700 Deductible, the $2,400 Cap, and the $35 Insulin Rule
• Extra Help in 2027: Lower Drug Copays and Who Qualifies
• Checking Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help

Part D spending averages (2024)

Source: CMS Medicare Part D Spending by Drug (Drug Spending Dashboard), release RY26 P04 V10, data through 2024 (DSD_PTD_RY26_P04_V10_DY24_BGM.csv), downloaded 2026-10-30

Companies covering this drug

5,495 plans from 509 companies list this drug on a formulary for 2027. Search by company or plan name, or filter by tier. Cost sharing is the plan's published amount for this drug's tier in the initial coverage stage (1-month retail supply), where the plan publishes it; a blank means the plan does not publish it.

A tier is not a price; what you pay depends on your plan, pharmacy, and benefit stage; Extra Help or Medicaid can lower it further.