Fucidin Ointment

Fucidin Ointment is a sodium fusidate 2% antibiotic ointment for bacterial skin infections such as impetigo, infected eczema or dermatitis and infected cuts and grazes. Sodium fusidate is the sodium salt of fusidic acid; the NHS says "Fusidic acid is also sometimes known as sodium fusidate." Fucidin is LEO Pharma's brand. The tube we sell is the Indian pack: the carton in our product photo reads "Sodium Fusidate Ointment BP", "Fucidin Ointment" and "5 g" with the LEO name, and the tube reads "Manufactured in India by: sun pharmaceutical ind. ltd." with an address in Ponda, Goa. Tata 1mg, Apollo Pharmacy and Truemeds list Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd as the marketer. We sell it in packs of 3 and 6 tubes, from $4.67 a tube in the 6 pack before shipping.

Please read this before you order. Fusidic acid and sodium fusidate are prescription antibiotics in the UK, Canada, Australia and India, and they are not approved by the FDA in the US. The ointment is meant for a short course on a diagnosed infection: for impetigo, NICE in the UK says consider hydrogen peroxide 1% cream first, and recommends fusidic acid 2% for 5 days when that is unsuitable or has not worked. Our delivery takes 7 to 14 business days, which is longer than that whole course. In our view, anyone with a skin infection now should see a pharmacist or doctor locally rather than wait for a parcel, and nobody should keep tubes at home to restart treatment on their own: the UK and Canadian labels link extended or repeated use with antibiotic resistance, and the UK label says an opened tube should be thrown away after 3 months.

Fucidin Ointment at a glance

Price per tube

Prices below are as of October 2026; the pack selector shows the current price.

Both packs are under the $149 free shipping threshold, so the flat $25 shipping applies to each; on the 3 pack it costs more than the ointment itself (our arithmetic). If each tube is 5 g, as in our product photo, the ointment costs $0.93 to $1.00 a gram before shipping and $1.77 to $2.67 a gram with shipping (our arithmetic). If your tubes are 15 g, those figures are a third as much. In India the listed maximum retail price is Rs 52.81 for the 5 g tube (PharmEasy, Truemeds); Apollo lists Rs 52.50 for 5 g and Rs 158.00 for 15 g.

No label gives a number of grams per course. The UK and Canadian labels and NICE describe a thin layer on the infected area for a short course, so in our estimate one tube covers one episode of a small, localised infection, and even the 3 pack is more than one course. Unopened tubes keep until the expiry date (the Indian tube says 18 months from the month of manufacture), but the UK label says an opened tube should be thrown away after 3 months. Please do not order extra tubes to keep for next time: see the resistance section below.

Compared with what you can get locally

Mupirocin is a different antibiotic, not a generic of fusidic acid. The Cochrane review of impetigo treatments (Koning 2012) found no clear difference in cure rates between the two in 4 studies with 440 participants. Per gram, US generic mupirocin ointment costs a pharmacy $0.15 to $0.29 (NADAC), against $0.93 to $1.00 for our ointment before shipping if each tube is 5 g (our comparison; NADAC is an acquisition cost, not a shelf price). A US reader with impetigo needs a prescriber anyway, and generic mupirocin is a prescription a US pharmacy can usually fill the same day (our view). In the UK, Canada and Australia, a local prescription for licensed Fucidin ointment will arrive faster than our 7 to 14 business days.

Ointment or cream: what is different

The NHS says "The main difference between fusidic acid cream and ointment is how it feels. The ointment is greasier than the cream." Both are used 3 or 4 times a day (NHS). The labels show some other differences that matter when you choose or switch.

Anyone allergic to lanolin (wool fat) must not use the UK ointment, because the UK label makes allergy to any excipient a contraindication (4.3). The UK leaflet says lanolin "may give you an itchy rash and inflammation on your skin where your medicine is used". We could not confirm the full ingredient list of the Indian tube, so read the carton before use if you have a lanolin or wool fat allergy.

Other fusidic acid products on our site have their own labels and limits: Fucidin H Cream (fusidic acid with hydrocortisone) and Fucibet Cream (fusidic acid with betamethasone) also contain a steroid, and the NHS says a cream with a steroid is usually put on twice a day. Mupinase Cream and Mupiheal Ointment contain mupirocin 2%, NICE's alternative when fusidic acid resistance is suspected or confirmed.

What NICE says about impetigo treatment

NICE guideline NG153, Impetigo: antimicrobial prescribing (published 26 February 2020), sets out this order for people who are not systemically unwell or at high risk of complications. NICE names "fusidic acid 2%" without saying cream or ointment.

• Localised non-bullous impetigo: "Consider hydrogen peroxide 1% cream" first (1.1.2). "If hydrogen peroxide 1% cream is unsuitable, offer a short course of a topical antibiotic" (1.1.3).
• First-choice topical antibiotic if hydrogen peroxide is unsuitable (for example, if impetigo is around the eyes) or ineffective: "Fusidic acid 2%: Apply three times a day for 5 days" (Tables 1 and 2, adults and under 18s).
• Mupirocin 2% is the alternative "if fusidic acid resistance is suspected or confirmed", also three times a day for 5 days.
• Course length: "A 5-day course is usually appropriate but can be increased to 7 days based on clinical judgement, depending on the severity and number of lesions."
• Widespread impetigo: a short course of a topical or oral antibiotic, taking into account "previous use of topical antibiotics because antimicrobial resistance can develop rapidly with extended or repeated use" (1.1.4).
• Bullous impetigo, or anyone systemically unwell or at high risk of complications: a short course of an oral antibiotic, not a topical one (1.1.5).
• No topical plus oral: "Do not offer combination treatment with a topical and oral antibiotic to treat impetigo" (1.1.6).
• If it does not work: if impetigo is worsening or has not improved after a course of topical antibiotics, NICE says offer a short course of an oral antibiotic and consider a skin swab (1.1.11), not a second tube.

The NHS says impetigo "stops being contagious 48 hours after you start using hydrogen peroxide cream or antibiotics prescribed by a pharmacist or GP". That is another reason to start treatment locally rather than wait for delivery.

Resistance: why short courses matter

• UK label 4.4: "Bacterial resistance among staphylococcus aureus has been reported to occur with the use of topical Fucidin. As with all antibiotics, extended or recurrent use may increase the risk of developing antibiotic resistance." It adds: "Extended or recurrent use may increase the risk of developing contact sensitisation."
• Canadian label 4.1 and 7: "Limiting therapy with FUCIDIN to no more than 14 days at a time will minimize the risk of developing resistance." It also says that prescribing it without "a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and risks the development of drug-resistant bacteria".
• NICE NG153: "As with all antibiotics, extended or recurrent use of topical fusidic acid or mupirocin may increase the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance."
• Evidence from New Zealand (Williamson 2014, PMID 25139961): the authors "observed a dramatic increase in fusidic acid (FA) resistance, and clonal expansion of FA-resistant Staphylococcus aureus", concurrent with a significant national increase in topical fusidic acid dispensing.

What this means for you, in our words: use it only for an infection a pharmacist or doctor has confirmed, for the course they set, and do not use it on rashes, acne or wounds that are not infected. If impetigo keeps coming back, NICE advises a skin swab and possibly a nasal swab and decolonisation (1.1.13), which needs a doctor.

How to use Fucidin Ointment

We could not find a full English prescribing label for the Indian tube, so the steps below come from the UK Fucidin ointment label and leaflet, the Canadian product monograph (which covers the cream and the ointment) and NICE. Where they differ, we say so. Follow the directions of the doctor or pharmacist who diagnosed the infection.

1. Wash your hands first. UK leaflet: "Always wash your hands before using Fucidin ointment." Tata 1mg says to clean and dry the affected area before applying it.
2. Check the seal. The UK leaflet says check that the seal is not broken before first use, then push the spike in the cap through it. The Indian tube may differ; do not use a tube with a broken seal (our advice).
3. Write the opening date on the carton. The UK leaflet says the tube "should be discarded 3 months after first opening" and to write the date you opened it on the carton. The Canadian label says "Use within 3 months of first opening the tube."
4. Apply it gently to the infected area. UK label: "apply gently, three or four times daily" on uncovered skin. Canadian label: "A small amount of FUCIDIN Ointment or Cream should be applied to the lesion two to three times daily for 7-14 days." NICE for impetigo: three times a day for 5 days.
5. Covered skin may need fewer applications. UK label: "less frequent applications may be adequate". Canadian label: 1 or 2 daily under a gauze dressing. The UK leaflet says "A nappy on a baby may act as a dressing."
6. Crusts do not need removing. The Canadian label says that in impetigo "it has been shown to be unneccessary to remove the crusts before application" (sic). It also says that, when required, infected lesions should be cut and drained before treatment, which is a job for a clinician.
7. Keep it away from the eyes. UK label 4.4: on the face, "care should be taken to avoid the eyes as the excipients in the ointment may cause conjunctival irritation." If it gets into an eye, wash it out with cold water straight away (UK leaflet).
8. Wash your hands afterwards, unless you are treating your hands (UK leaflet).
9. Missed application: use it as soon as you remember, then carry on at the usual time (UK leaflet; Canadian label 4.5).
10. Finish the course you were given, and seek medical help if the infection worsens rapidly or has not improved by the end of it (NICE 1.1.7). The NHS says the condition "should improve a few days after starting treatment".
11. Keep away from flames. UK label 4.4: "Instruct patients not to smoke or go near naked flames", because of the "risk of severe burns". "Fabric (clothing, bedding, dressings etc) that has been in contact with this product burns more easily and is a serious fire hazard. Washing clothing and bedding may reduce product build-up but not totally remove it." The UK ointment is made with white soft paraffin and liquid paraffin; the full ingredient list of the Indian tube is not confirmed, so treat this warning as applying (our advice).

To help stop impetigo spreading, the NHS advises washing flannels, towels and bedding at a high temperature, not sharing them, not touching or scratching the sores, and staying away from work, school or nursery until no longer contagious.

Side effects

UK label 4.8: in pooled data from clinical studies of 4,724 patients who used Fucidin cream or ointment, "the frequency of undesirable effects is 2.3%". The most frequent were skin reactions such as itching and rash, then pain and irritation where it was applied, "which all occurred in less than 1% of patients".

The UK label says the ointment's cetyl alcohol and hydrous lanolin "may cause local skin reactions (e.g. contact dermatitis)", and that its butylhydroxytoluene "may cause local skin reactions (e.g. contact dermatitis) or irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes"; the UK leaflet gives lips and the genital area as examples of mucous membranes. The Canadian label says that with Fucidin Ointment, mild irritation "has been occasionally reported" in people with dermatoses, and that applying it to deep leg ulcers "has been associated with pain". It adds that topical antibiotics occasionally allow overgrowth of organisms that do not respond; if that happens, or irritation or sensitisation develops, treatment should be stopped. Children: "Frequency, type and severity of adverse reactions in children are expected to be the same as in adults" (UK 4.8).

When to get urgent help

• Allergy: the UK leaflet says "You must get urgent medical help" if you have difficulty breathing, your face or throat swell, or your skin develops a severe rash. With throat swelling or trouble breathing, call emergency services: 911 in the US and Canada, 999 in the UK, 000 in Australia (our advice).
• Signs of a deeper or spreading infection: NICE says refer to hospital people with impetigo and signs of a more serious illness such as cellulitis, and people with widespread impetigo who are immunocompromised (1.1.15). Spreading redness, a hot, swollen or very painful area, a high temperature or feeling generally unwell need same-day medical care, not more ointment (our advice).
• Babies: NICE says consider specialist advice for bullous impetigo, "particularly in babies (aged 1 year and under)" (1.1.16), and the NHS says see a GP if your child is 11 months or younger.
• Eye problems: if ointment gets in an eye and you then have "any problems with your sight or your eye is sore, contact your doctor immediately" (UK leaflet).
• Swallowed ointment: a small amount "is unlikely to cause any harm"; if a larger amount is swallowed or you are worried, contact a doctor, pharmacist or A&E (UK leaflet). In the US, call Poison Control on 1-800-222-1222; in Australia, the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (our advice). The UK label says a 30 g tube contains 576 mg fusidic acid and will usually not exceed the oral daily dose "except in children aged less than 1 year and weighing ≤ 10 kg"; by the same ratio a 5 g tube holds about 96 mg (our arithmetic).
• Fire: clothing, bedding or dressings with ointment on them can catch fire easily (UK label 4.4). Keep away from cigarettes and naked flames.

Who should not use Fucidin Ointment

Do not use it (the label each item comes from is named):

• if you are allergic to fusidic acid, sodium fusidate or any other ingredient, including lanolin (wool fat), cetyl alcohol or butylhydroxytoluene in the UK ointment (UK label 4.3 and leaflet; Canadian label 2, which adds any component of the container)
• in the eyes; the UK leaflet says take special care near your eyes or the eyes of a child, and the Canadian label says "Due to the excipients, avoid getting FUCIDIN in the eyes"
• on the breast while breastfeeding: the UK label says "it is recommended to avoid applying topical Fucidin on the breast", and the Canadian label gives the same advice to protect the baby from swallowing it
• from a tube opened more than 3 months ago (UK label 6.3 and leaflet; Canadian label 11)
• without a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection (Canadian label 1 and 7), or for longer than the course you were given (our advice, based on the resistance warnings in the UK and Canadian labels and NICE)

Ask a doctor first:

• Pregnancy: the UK label says "Topical Fucidin can be used during pregnancy". The Canadian label says safety in pregnancy "has not been established" and that use requires the benefits to be weighed against possible hazards to the foetus. The UK leaflet says ask your doctor or pharmacist before use, and "You must not use your medicine for a long time or in large amounts."
• Children: the UK label doses adults and children the same way, and NICE gives the same fusidic acid course to under 18s. Health Canada "has not authorized an indication for pediatric use". PharmEasy's Indian listing says it "should not be used in children under 1 year of age"; the UK label does not say this. A baby, or a child with blisters or who seems unwell, needs to be seen by a doctor (NICE 1.1.16; NHS).
• Using it for a long time or in large amounts: the UK leaflet says this "may make the chance of getting any side effects higher" and your skin "may get more sensitive to this medicine".
• Impetigo that keeps coming back, or that has not improved after a course (NICE 1.1.11 and 1.1.13).
• Bullous impetigo (large fluid-filled blisters) or widespread infection: NICE offers a short course of an oral antibiotic, not a topical one, for bullous impetigo (1.1.5).
• A weakened immune system, for example from chemotherapy (NHS impetigo page; NICE 1.1.15).

Other medicines: the UK label says no interaction studies have been done and that interactions with medicines taken by mouth or injection "are considered minimal as the systemic absorption of topical Fucidin is negligible" (4.5). Warnings you may read about fusidic acid and statins concern fusidic acid taken by mouth or given into a vein; the UK ointment label does not list them (our reading of section 4.5).

What the evidence shows

• Koning 2002, BMJ (PMID 11809642): a double blind trial in 184 children aged 0 to 12 with impetigo in Dutch general practice, using fusidic acid cream. After one week, 55% on fusidic acid were clinically cured against 13% on placebo (both also used povidone-iodine shampoo); the differences became smaller at two and four weeks. No S. aureus strains in that trial were resistant to fusidic acid.
• Koning 2012, Cochrane (PMID 22258953): 68 trials, 5,578 participants. Topical antibiotics cured more people than placebo (risk ratio 2.24, 6 studies, 575 participants), and there was "no clear evidence that either of the most commonly studied topical antibiotics (mupirocin and fusidic acid) was more effective than the other". The authors also noted that bacteria causing impetigo "show growing resistance rates for commonly used antibiotics".

Our reading: the trial above used the cream, and we found no trial comparing the ointment with the cream. Fusidic acid works well for small areas of impetigo when the bacteria are sensitive, and the main risk is resistance from overuse, not side effects. That is why the course should be short and supervised.

Prescription and legal status

• India: the tube in our product photo carries the caution "Not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner"; Tata 1mg ("Prescription required"), Apollo ("Prescription drug") and Truemeds agree.
• US: fusidic acid and sodium fusidate are not approved by the FDA. We found no fusidic acid or sodium fusidate product in Drugs@FDA or among FDA drug labels. The FDA says personal importation of drugs is illegal in most circumstances.
• UK: Fucidin 20 mg/g ointment (LEO Laboratories, PL 00043/5005R) is a prescription only medicine. This Indian tube is not registered with the MHRA.
• Canada: Fucidin Ointment 2% (DIN 00586676) is a prescription medicine. This Indian tube is not registered with Health Canada.
• Australia: fusidic acid is in Schedule 4 (prescription only) of the Poisons Standard October 2026 (F2026L01327), and Fucidin ointment (ARTG 12990) is Schedule 4 on healthdirect. This Indian tube is not registered with the TGA.

Check the rules where you live before you order.

Buying genuine Fucidin Ointment

The MHRA warns: "Any medicine not authorised for sale in the UK can be unsafe or ineffective and there is no way of knowing what is in them or the negative health effects they can have." It advises UK buyers: "Only use UK-registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies displaying the official green cross logo". That warning covers this Indian tube, which is not authorised in the UK. When your order arrives, check that the carton and tube say Fucidin and sodium fusidate 2%, show the tube size, name the maker, carry a batch number and the month of manufacture (the Indian tube says these are on the crimp) and an expiry date, and that the tube seal is intact. These checks cannot prove a tube is genuine, because counterfeiters copy packaging. If a tube causes unusual symptoms, stop using it, seek medical advice, and report it to your medicines regulator (the MHRA Yellow Card scheme in the UK, FDA MedWatch in the US, the TGA in Australia or Health Canada) as well as to us. Store it at or below 30 °C, do not freeze it (Indian tube), keep it out of the reach of children, and throw an opened tube away after 3 months (UK label).

Delivery

We ship Fucidin Ointment to the US, UK, Australia and Canada in plain packaging with tracking. Standard delivery takes 7 to 14 business days to most countries, which is longer than a NICE impetigo course: an infection you have now should be treated with what you can get locally. Shipping costs a flat $25 on orders under $149 and is free from $149. See our shipping page and refund policy.

Related guides

• Antibiotic resistance: when antibiotics don't work
• Is it safe to buy medicine online?
• How to verify a legitimate online pharmacy in the USA

Sources

• Fucidin 20 mg/g ointment, Summary of Product Characteristics, LEO Laboratories Limited, PL 00043/5005R, text revised 13 July 2023, sections 2, 4.1 to 4.9, 6.1, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5. emc
• Fucidin 20 mg/g ointment, Package Leaflet, LEO Laboratories Limited, revised April 2023. emc
• Fucidin 20 mg/g cream, Summary of Product Characteristics, emc 5510, text revised 1 June 2026, sections 4.4 and 6.1 (for the comparison table).
• Fucidin Cream and Ointment Product Monograph including Patient Medication Information, LEO Pharma Inc., date of authorization 7 May 2026, sections 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11; Health Canada Drug Product Database entry for Fucidin Ointment 2%, DIN 00586676 (fusidate sodium 2%, prescription, marketed), checked 30 October 2026. Health Canada
• healthdirect Australia, Fucidin (fusidate ointment), Schedule 4, 15 g and 5 g physician sample, not PBS listed, data updated 1 October 2026; TGA ARTG 12990, FUCIDIN sodium fusidate 20mg/g ointment tube. healthdirect
• Poisons Standard October 2026 (F2026L01327, in force 1 October 2026), Schedule 4 entry "FUSIDIC ACID".
• NICE. Impetigo: antimicrobial prescribing (NG153), published 26 February 2020, recommendations 1.1.2 to 1.1.16 and Tables 1 and 2. NICE
• NHS. About fusidic acid (reviewed 30 January 2026), How and when to use fusidic acid, and Impetigo, read 30 October 2026. NHS
• US Food and Drug Administration: openFDA Drugs@FDA and drug label searches for fusidic acid and sodium fusidate (no matches); Drugs@FDA entries for Altabax (NDA 022055) and Xepi (NDA 208945), both listed as discontinued; checked 30 October 2026.
• NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost), data.medicaid.gov, as of 28 October 2026: no fusidic acid, sodium fusidate, retapamulin or ozenoxacin rows; mupirocin 2% ointment and cream rows effective 21 October 2026.
• Mupirocin ointment 2% US label, DailyMed setid 06a4ee22-d8f8-4a8a-8666-82b14f2d8476, effective 28 July 2026, section 1.
• Gentamicin sulfate topical US label, Cosette Pharmaceuticals, DailyMed setid 16474069-510b-0754-9d78-9bc0354f6549, version 5, effective 23 November 2023, Indications and Usage.
• Indian listings for Fucidin Ointment (composition, marketer, tube sizes, prescription status, storage, price): Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, Apollo Pharmacy and Truemeds, checked 30 October 2026; our product photo of the Indian carton and tube.
• Koning S, et al. Fusidic acid cream in the treatment of impetigo in general practice: double blind randomised placebo controlled trial. BMJ 2002. PMID 11809642.
• Koning S, et al. Interventions for impetigo. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012. PMID 22258953.
• Williamson DA, et al. High usage of topical fusidic acid and rapid clonal expansion of fusidic acid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a cautionary tale. Clin Infect Dis 2014. PMID 25139961.
• MHRA. 20 million illegal erectile dysfunction pills seized as MHRA warns against risky online buys, 13 February 2026. GOV.UK.
• US Food and Drug Administration. Personal Importation. FDA

This page is for information and is not medical advice. A skin infection that is spreading, blistering, near the eyes, in a baby or in someone who feels unwell needs a doctor or pharmacist now; do not wait for a delivery.