CDC Advises Clinicians on Penicillin Shortage, Alternative Treatment Supply
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing temporary importation of Lentocilin to help address limited availability of Bicillin L-A, a key injectable penicillin used to treat syphilis.
Federal health officials are urging clinicians to preserve benzathine penicillin G for pregnant patients, as it is the only recommended treatment for pregnant women and babies with congenital syphilis. The guidance comes as syphilis diagnoses continue to rise nationwide and supplies of the medication remain constrained. The CDC is encouraging health systems to monitor local inventories, prioritize appropriate use and consider alternative treatments when clinically appropriate while supplies recover.
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