Is Azithromycin Part Of The Penicillin Family?

Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 Answered on

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Is azithromycin part of the penicillin family?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Michelle Gibson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: they are a different family Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for using healthcare magic No, azithromycin is in a class of antibiotics called macrolides. Other macrolides are erythromycin and clarithromycin.They have a similar structure which is essentially a large ring (called a macrocyclic lactone ring). The structure and mechanism of action is different compared to penicillins. Macrolides are sometimes used when there is a history of allergy to penicillins. I hope this helps , feel free to ask any additional questions

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar