[The different intake modalities of oral antibiotics].

Abstract

This article attempts to provide a guideline for the different modalities of taking oral antibiotics. On the one hand, it focuses on the time interval between two administrations, and on the other hand on the time of optimal absorption. Antibiotics can be classified into 2 groups--either time dependent or concentration dependent--based on their antibacterial mechanism of action. By understanding the underlying reason for the different administration schedules (for example, why antibiotic A is taken three times daily with a meal and antibiotic B only once and sober), pharmacists and technicians are far better prepared for their task to inform the patient who is dispensed a first prescription.