Ciprofloxacin is endowed with a bactericidal action, ie it is capable of killing bacterial cells.
This active ingredient is available in the form of many pharmaceutical formulations suitable for oral administration (tablets, granules for oral suspension), ocular route (eye drops, ophthalmic ointment), auricular route (auricular goce) and parenteral route.
Note: Ciprofloxacin is found in combination with corticosteroid drugs in some eye drops. In this article, however, the characteristics of ciprofloxacin alone and not of ciprofloxacin associated with other active ingredients will be considered.
Ciprofloxacin-based medicines for oral, ocular and auricular use can only be dispensed upon presentation of a repeatable medical prescription (RR). Those that can be administered orally, however, are classified as class A drugs, therefore, their cost can be reimbursed - wholly or partially (payment of a ticket), depending on the case - by the National Health System (SSN); those for ocular and earphone use, on the other hand, are classified as class C drugs, therefore, their cost is fully borne by the citizen.
As for medicines containing ciprofloxacin for parenteral use, on the other hand, some of them require a non-repeatable limitative medical prescription in order to be sold (RNRL - drugs that can be sold to the public on prescription from hospitals or specialists); while others are classified as group H drugs for hospital use (OSP).
