Penicillin V®

What is Penicillin V?

Penicillin V is a tablet treatment that can be used to treat bacterial throat infections like strep throat. It belongs to a class of medication called penicillins, a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Strep throat is caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, a type of bacteria. It’s usually managed with antibiotics, which can help clear the infection and relieve symptoms like an inflamed, sore throat.

How does Penicillin V work?

Penicillins kill the bacteria that causes strep throat. This helps your body fight off the infection. It does this by breaking down the cell walls of bacteria, so that the cells become unstable and can eventually be destroyed. It also stops the bacteria from multiplying.

Penicillin is considered a first-line treatment for strep throat, alongside amoxicillin.¹

What doses of Penicillin V are there?

Penicillin V tablets are available in two strengths: 250mg and 500mg, though for strep throat, only the 500mg dose is available with us.

The typical dosage routine is to take one tablet three times a day, for 10 days. Your physician will advise you if they think you need an adjusted dose.

How long does Penicillin V take to work?

Antibiotics can work at different rates person-to-person. You might feel like your strep throat symptoms start to ease off after you’ve only been using Penicillin V for a couple of days. But this is just a sign that the antibiotics are working — you’ll still need to finish the entire course of tablets to ensure the infection has cleared.

How to take Penicillin V

Swallow your tablet whole with a glass of water, around 30 minutes before you eat.

The standard dose is one tablet three times a day (so around every 8 hours), and you should try to space your doses evenly throughout the day. Treatment courses can vary, but your clinician will tell you how many days you need to take Pencillin V for.