Penicillins
Penicillin brand and generic names
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Amoxil | amoxicillin | Penicillins |
| Augmentin | amoxicillin, clavulanate | Penicillins |
| Pen-Vee K | penicillin V potassium | Penicillins |
| Dynapen | dicloxacillin | Penicillins |
Oral examples; Dynapen brand discontinued; generic dicloxacillin available.
Cephalosporins
See the cephalosporin generation chart for a fuller list sorted by 1st–5th generation.
Selected cephalosporin pairs
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Keflex | cephalexin | 1st-gen cephalosporins |
| Omnicef | cefdinir | 3rd-gen cephalosporins |
| Rocephin | ceftriaxone | 3rd-gen cephalosporins |
Keflex oral 1st gen; Omnicef oral 3rd gen; Rocephin injection 3rd gen.
Macrolides
Macrolide brand and generic names
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Zithromax | azithromycin | Macrolides |
| Biaxin | clarithromycin | Macrolides |
| E-Mycin | erythromycin | Macrolides |
Biaxin and E-Mycin are discontinued US brands; generic clarithromycin and erythromycin remain available.
Tetracyclines
Tetracycline brand and generic names
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Vibramycin | doxycycline | Tetracyclines |
| Minocin | minocycline | Tetracyclines |
| Sumycin | tetracycline | Tetracyclines |
Sumycin is a discontinued US brand; generic tetracycline remains available.
Fluoroquinolones
Fluoroquinolone brand and generic names
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Cipro | ciprofloxacin | Fluoroquinolones |
| Levaquin | levofloxacin | Fluoroquinolones |
| Avelox | moxifloxacin | Fluoroquinolones |
| Ocuflox | ofloxacin | Fluoroquinolones |
Levaquin and Avelox are discontinued US brands; generic levofloxacin and moxifloxacin remain available. Ocuflox is ophthalmic ofloxacin (brand still marketed).
Lincosamides, sulfonamides, nitroimidazoles, and others
Additional antibiotic examples
| Brand name | Generic name | Class or type |
|---|---|---|
| Cleocin | clindamycin | Lincosamides |
| Bactrim / Septra | sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim | Sulfonamides |
| Flagyl | metronidazole | Nitroimidazole antibiotics |
| Macrobid | nitrofurantoin | Urinary anti-infectives |
| Bactroban | mupirocin | Topical antibiotics |
Bactroban is topical; Cleocin here is oral capsules.
Understanding antibiotic classes
Beta-lactam classes include penicillins and cephalosporins; macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones are separate families. Combination products (Augmentin, Bactrim) need both ingredients in the answer.
Link focused guides when a class deserves its own table: penicillins, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, and cephalosporins by generation.
Naming patterns and memory tips
- -cillin: penicillin family (amoxicillin, penicillin V, dicloxacillin).
- cef- / ceph-: cephalosporins; generation is not encoded in the spelling.
- -floxacin: fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin).
- -cycline: tetracyclines (doxycycline, minocycline, tetracycline).
- -mycin is not one class: azithromycin (macrolide) versus clindamycin (lincosamide).
Commonly confused antibiotic names
Amoxil and Augmentin
Augmentin adds clavulanate to amoxicillin. Practice the full generic: amoxicillin and clavulanate.
Metronidazole and fluconazole
Flagyl–metronidazole is an antibiotic; Diflucan–fluconazole is an antifungal.
Cipro and Ocuflox
Both contain a -floxacin generic, but Cipro is oral ciprofloxacin while Ocuflox is ophthalmic ofloxacin.