What to Do When You Can't Get Daptomycin

Being told your antibiotic is out of stock is stressful, especially when you're fighting a serious infection. If you've been prescribed Daptomycin (Cubicin) and can't find it at your pharmacy, you may be wondering: are there alternatives?

The short answer is yes — but it depends on your specific infection, medical history, and what your doctor recommends. This guide covers the main alternatives to Daptomycin, how they compare, and what to discuss with your healthcare provider.

First, let's understand what Daptomycin does and why it's prescribed in the first place.

What Is Daptomycin and How Does It Work?

Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic that kills bacteria by disrupting their cell membranes. It's one of the few antibiotics effective against some of the most dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, including:

• MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
• VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci)

Daptomycin is FDA-approved for complicated skin infections, S. aureus bloodstream infections, and right-sided endocarditis. It's given intravenously — typically once daily — in a hospital or through home infusion.

For a deeper dive, see our article on what Daptomycin is and how it's used.

One important limitation: Daptomycin cannot be used to treat pneumonia because it's inactivated by lung surfactant. If you have a lung infection, your doctor would already be using a different antibiotic.

Alternative Antibiotics to Daptomycin

The following antibiotics are commonly used to treat similar infections. Your infectious disease specialist will choose the best option based on the type of bacteria, where the infection is, and your overall health.

1. Vancomycin

What it is: Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic and one of the oldest and most widely used drugs for MRSA infections. It's often considered the first-line treatment before Daptomycin.

How it's given: Intravenously (IV), usually twice daily. Requires therapeutic drug monitoring (blood level checks) to ensure the dose is effective and safe.

Used for: MRSA skin infections, bloodstream infections, bone infections, endocarditis, meningitis, and pneumonia.

Key differences from Daptomycin:

• Vancomycin can treat pneumonia (Daptomycin cannot)
• Requires more frequent dosing (usually every 8-12 hours vs. once daily for Daptomycin)
• Needs regular blood level monitoring
• Risk of kidney damage (nephrotoxicity) and hearing loss (ototoxicity)
• Much cheaper — approximately $9-$59 per vial for generic Vancomycin

Why your doctor might choose it: Vancomycin is often tried first for MRSA infections. Daptomycin is typically reserved for patients who don't respond to or can't tolerate Vancomycin.

2. Linezolid (Zyvox)

What it is: Linezolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic effective against MRSA, VRE, and other resistant gram-positive bacteria.

How it's given: Available as both an IV infusion and an oral tablet — making it one of the few alternatives patients can take at home by mouth.

Used for: MRSA skin infections, VRE infections, pneumonia (including MRSA pneumonia), and some bone and joint infections.

Key differences from Daptomycin:

• Available in oral form — a major advantage for outpatient treatment
• Can treat pneumonia
• Risk of myelosuppression (low blood cell counts) with prolonged use
• Can interact with serotonergic drugs (antidepressants like SSRIs) — risk of serotonin syndrome
• Typically limited to 2-4 weeks of therapy due to side effects

Why your doctor might choose it: If you need an oral option or have a lung infection, Linezolid may be the best alternative.

3. Telavancin (Vibativ)

What it is: Telavancin is a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic — a newer class related to Vancomycin but designed to be more potent against resistant bacteria.

How it's given: IV only, once daily.

Used for: Complicated skin infections and hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by gram-positive organisms including MRSA.

Key differences from Daptomycin:

• Can treat pneumonia (Daptomycin cannot)
• Carries a boxed warning for kidney toxicity and fetal risk in pregnancy
• Once-daily dosing like Daptomycin
• Less clinical data than Vancomycin or Daptomycin

Why your doctor might choose it: Telavancin may be an option when Vancomycin and Daptomycin are both unavailable or inappropriate.

4. Oritavancin (Orbactiv)

What it is: Oritavancin is a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with an extremely long half-life, allowing it to be given as a single-dose IV infusion.

How it's given: One-time IV infusion over 3 hours.

Used for: Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI) in adults.

Key differences from Daptomycin:

• Single dose — no need for daily infusions or extended IV courses
• Only approved for skin infections, not bacteremia or endocarditis
• Cannot be used with heparin (interferes with coagulation tests)
• Long half-life means drug effects persist for weeks after the single dose

Why your doctor might choose it: If you have a skin infection and the convenience of a single dose is important — especially if Daptomycin supply is limited.

How to Talk to Your Doctor About Switching

If Daptomycin is unavailable, don't try to find an alternative on your own. Here's what to do:

1. Contact your infectious disease doctor immediately — they can assess whether a switch is safe for your specific infection
2. Share your medication history — especially any past reactions to antibiotics, current medications (including statins), and kidney function
3. Ask about culture and sensitivity results — your doctor may have lab results showing exactly which antibiotics your bacteria are susceptible to
4. Discuss the treatment plan — some alternatives require different monitoring, dosing schedules, or routes of administration

For help finding Daptomycin before switching, try Medfinder — you may be able to locate a pharmacy that has it in stock. See our guide on how to find Daptomycin in stock near you.

Final Thoughts

While Daptomycin is a powerful and important antibiotic, it's not the only option for treating serious gram-positive infections. Vancomycin, Linezolid, Telavancin, and Oritavancin all offer viable alternatives depending on your situation.

The most important step is to work closely with your doctor — ideally an infectious disease specialist — to determine the safest and most effective substitute. Never stop or switch antibiotics on your own, and always complete the full prescribed course of treatment.

For the latest on Daptomycin availability and pricing, check out our Daptomycin shortage update for 2026 and our guide on saving money on Daptomycin.