Retapamulin (Topical application)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 22, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Altabax

Available Dosage Forms:

• Ointment

Therapeutic Class: Antibacterial

Chemical Class: Pleuromutilin

Uses for retapamulin

Retapamulin is used to treat a bacterial skin infection called impetigo. Retapamulin is a topical antibiotic .

Retapamulin is available only with your doctor's prescription .

Before using retapamulin

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For retapamulin, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to retapamulin or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of retapamulin in children below 9 months of age. Safety and efficacy have not been established .

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatrics-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of retapamulin in the elderly .

Interactions with medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking retapamulin, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using retapamulin with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Atazanavir
• Boceprevir
• Clarithromycin
• Cobicistat
• Conivaptan
• Indinavir
• Itraconazole
• Ketoconazole
• Lopinavir
• Nefazodone
• Nelfinavir
• Posaconazole
• Ritonavir
• Saquinavir
• Telaprevir
• Telithromycin
• Tipranavir
• Voriconazole

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other medical problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of retapamulin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Skin infections (other than impetigo)—Retapamulin should not be used in other skin problems .

Proper use of retapamulin

Retapamulin is for use on the skin only. Do not ...