Cefpodoxime is an oral third-generation cephalosporin — one of the small group of powerful cephalosporins that can be swallowed rather than injected. It disrupts the bacterial cell wall, and its range covers both the gram-positive organisms behind many throat and skin infections and the gram-negatives behind urinary and chest infections. That breadth is what makes it useful when a first-line antibiotic has failed.
In the NAFDAC register
43 registered products
from 23 registration holders
What it costs online
about ₦5,400
≈₦540 per tablet (tablet/capsule)
Sampled from 2 listings across MedPlus · August 2026
Full price breakdown →Brands of Cefpodoxime in Nigeria
Those 43 products from 23 registration holders include combination products and older listings; below are the most common brands.
| Brand Name | Manufacturer | Strength | Form | NAFDAC Reg. No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kadcep | Kadark Pharmaceuticals Limited | 200mg | Tablet | A11-100552 |
| Mospodox 200 mg Capsule | Miraflash Nig Ltd | 200mg | Capsule | A11-0859 |
| Mospodox 100 mg/5 mL Suspension | Miraflash Nig Ltd | 100mg/5ml | Suspension | A11-0875 |
| Cefdoxim Powder | Digitall Healthcare Ltd | 40mg/5ml | Suspension | B4-6622 |
| Cfpoxime 200 | Chanrai HealthCare Limited | 200mg | Tablet | B4-2238 |
Cefpodoxime Price in Nigeria
As of August 2026, Cefpodoxime sells for about ₦5,400 online in Nigeria (₦5,250–₦5,550) across MedPlus. That figure is for Cefdoxim; 18 other cefpodoxime brands are NAFDAC-registered and generic versions usually cost less. Open-market prices (e.g. Idumota, Ogbogwu) are often lower.
Online retail (sampled)
₦5,250 – ₦5,550median ₦5,400
2 listings across MedPlus — brands and pack sizes vary · August 2026.
tablets: about ₦540 per tablet (₦525–₦555), from the 2 listings that state a pack size.
First tracked August 2026.
How to Verify Your Cefpodoxime is Genuine
- 1Check the NAFDAC number on the pack — Kadcep carries A11-100552 and Mospodox 200mg carries A11-0859 in our copy of the register.
- 2Other registered products include Mospodox 100mg/5ml suspension (A11-0875), Cefdoxim Powder (B4-6622) and Cfpoxime 200 (B4-2238).
- 3Confirm any brand with our NAFDAC checker before paying.
- 4Several registered products are made in Nigeria, so a locally made cefpodoxime verified in the register is a sound choice rather than a compromise.
- 5Buy from a registered pharmacy and check the expiry date, especially on paediatric suspensions, which are often kept longer than they should be.
Where to Buy
Buying Cefpodoxime by the carton
Cartons are bought at Nigeria's four open drug markets. Each guide names the sellers there you can contact, and how to buy safely:
No shop we list has Cefpodoxime on its confirmed product list yet — the market guides still tell you where the trade happens and how to buy there safely.
Wherever you buy, buy only from licensed pharmacies and verified distributors — not roadside vendors — and verify the pack's NAFDAC registration before you pay. Buying Cefpodoxime in bulk or for resale? See how to buy medicines in bulk in Nigeria safely.
Need Cefpodoxime in bulk, or can't find it near you?
Tell us what you need and we'll connect you with a verified, NAFDAC-registered source.
What is Cefpodoxime?
Our copy of the NAFDAC register shows twenty-four active cefpodoxime registrations from fourteen companies — eighteen of them cefpodoxime alone and six combined with clavulanic acid. A good share are made in Nigeria, including Kadark's Kadcep and Miraflash's Mospodox range, alongside Indian-made products such as Cefdoxim and Cfpoxime. The paediatric suspensions are well represented, which matters, because ear infections in children are one of its main uses.
Cefpodoxime sits beside cefixime in Nigerian practice, and the two are often used interchangeably. The practical difference is coverage: cefpodoxime keeps more activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which makes it the better fit for skin and some ENT infections, while cefixime has the stronger reputation for typhoid. Both belong in the WHO 'Watch' group of antibiotics, meaning both are worth reserving rather than reaching for first.
What is Cefpodoxime used for?
In Nigeria, Cefpodoxime is commonly used for:
- Otitis media, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and sinusitis
- Acute bronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections
- Skin and soft-tissue infections, where its staphylococcal cover helps
- Typhoid fever, as an oral alternative
- Uncomplicated gonorrhoea in some regimens, though resistance limits this
Dosage
IMPORTANT
Always follow your doctor's or pharmacist's instructions. The information below is for general reference only.
Adults
The usual adult dose is 100mg to 200mg twice daily, for five to ten days depending on the infection — 200mg twice daily is typical for chest and skin infections, 100mg twice daily for uncomplicated urinary infections. TAKE IT WITH FOOD: cefpodoxime absorption depends on stomach acid and is significantly better after a meal, which is one of the few places where the instruction genuinely changes whether the antibiotic works.
Children
Children are dosed by weight, usually around 8 to 10mg per kg per day divided into two doses, given as the 40mg/5ml or 100mg/5ml suspension. Reconstitute with clean water to the mark, shake well before each dose, measure with a syringe rather than a kitchen spoon, and refrigerate once mixed — most suspensions keep about fourteen days. Confirm the dose against the child's weight with a pharmacist.
Elderly
No routine dose change for age, but the dose is reduced in significant kidney impairment, which is more common with age.
Antacids, cimetidine and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole reduce cefpodoxime absorption substantially, because it needs stomach acid to dissolve. If you take an acid-reducing medicine, tell the prescriber — this combination can quietly make the antibiotic ineffective, which looks like treatment failure and often leads to a second unnecessary antibiotic. Complete the full course, and remember that cefpodoxime does nothing for malaria or for viral coughs and colds.
Side Effects
Common side effects
- •Diarrhoea
- •Nausea and abdominal pain
- •Headache
- •Skin rash
- •Vaginal thrush after a course
Serious side effects — seek medical help immediately
- Severe allergic reactions — more likely in people allergic to penicillins or other cephalosporins
- Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhoea — severe, persistent or bloody
- Severe skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome — rare
- Liver enzyme disturbance and, rarely, jaundice
- Blood-count abnormalities and kidney inflammation — rare
When to see a doctor
Seek urgent care for swelling of the face or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing. See a doctor promptly for severe or bloody diarrhoea — do not simply take an anti-diarrhoeal — for a blistering rash, or for yellowing of the eyes or skin. If the infection has not improved within 48 to 72 hours, go back to the clinic rather than adding another antibiotic yourself.
Warnings & Precautions
Do not take Cefpodoxime if you have:
- Known allergy to cefpodoxime or any cephalosporin
- History of severe immediate penicillin allergy (anaphylaxis) — an alternative class is safer
- Previous severe skin reaction to a beta-lactam antibiotic
- Dose reduction required in significant kidney impairment
Drug interactions
- •Antacids, cimetidine and proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole — these reduce absorption significantly and can make the antibiotic fail
- •Probenecid — raises and prolongs cefpodoxime levels
- •Warfarin — cephalosporins can raise the INR; monitor
- •Other kidney-stressing drugs such as aminoglycosides — combined kidney strain
- •Live oral typhoid vaccine — the antibiotic blunts it; separate the two
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Cephalosporins as a class have a good record in pregnancy and are among the antibiotics used when one is genuinely needed, always on medical advice. Small amounts pass into breast milk; breastfeeding is normally continued while watching the infant for loose stools or thrush.
Related Resources for Cefpodoxime
Guides, articles, and tools related to Cefpodoxime and other antibiotics medicines in Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- •NAFDAC Greenbook — the official database of all products registered with Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. Brand-level NAFDAC numbers for Cefpodoxime on this page were cross-referenced against the Greenbook.
- •British National Formulary (BNF) dosing and interaction guidance for Cefpodoxime.
- •Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines (Federal Ministry of Health).
Daily puzzle: Meddle — pair five brands with their medicines. New game at midnight.