Fucidine (Fusidic Acid) in Spain: What It Treats

Fucidine is the Spanish brand of fusidic acid, an antibiotic cream and ointment for small bacterial skin infections such as impetigo and infected eczema. It is the same product sold as Fucidin in the UK and Ireland. In Spain it is prescription-only, and so is Fucibet, the version that adds the steroid betamethasone. Fusidic acid is not licensed in the US, so American readers will not know the name.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What is Fucidine used for?

• Impetigo: the honey-coloured crusts around the nose and mouth, common in children.
• Infected cuts, grazes and insect bites that have become red, weepy or crusted.
• Folliculitis (infected hair follicles) and small boils.
• Infected eczema or dermatitis on a small area. When the eczema is also inflamed, a doctor may choose Fucibet, which combines fusidic acid with the steroid betamethasone.
• Around a wound or stitches that have started to look infected, if the doctor judges a cream is enough.

Fucidine comes as a cream and as an ointment (pomada). The ointment is greasier and suits dry or crusted skin. Both contain the same antibiotic. There are also fusidic acid tablets and eye drops in Spain, for different uses and always on prescription.

Fucidin, Fucidine, Fucibet: which name is which?

Name	What it contains	Where
Fucidin	Fusidic acid cream or ointment	UK, Ireland
Fucidine	Fusidic acid cream or ointment	Spain (prescription)
Fucidin H	Fusidic acid + hydrocortisone	UK
Fucibet	Fusidic acid + betamethasone	Spain and UK (prescription)
Bactroban (mupirocin)	A different antibiotic ointment for the same infections	Spain, UK, US

If your UK doctor gave you Fucidin, ask a Spanish doctor for Fucidine; it is the same medicine. Mupirocin is the other common choice for impetigo and is often preferred when resistance to fusidic acid is suspected. We explain it in our mupirocin guide.

Do you need a prescription for Fucidine in Spain?

Yes. Fucidine and Fucibet are medicamentos sujetos a prescripción médica. A pharmacy cannot hand them over without a Spanish prescription, including a private electronic one, even if you show an empty UK tube. You can check any presentation on the AEMPS CIMA database.

Pharmacies can sell antiseptic creams and washes without a prescription (chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine). For a small graze that is only slightly red, an antiseptic and clean dressings are often all you need. For crusted, spreading or weeping skin, a doctor should look.

What Fucidine does not treat

• Fungal rashes: ringworm, athlete's foot, jock itch or a nappy rash caused by yeast. They need an antifungal, and an antibiotic cream can make them worse.
• Cold sores and shingles, which are viral.
• Acne: it is not an acne treatment.
• Eczema that is not infected: that needs a moisturiser and, if prescribed, a steroid cream, not an antibiotic.
• Deep or spreading infections (cellulitis), abscesses, or infected skin with fever, which need antibiotics by mouth or in-person care.

If you are not sure what a rash is, our rash page and eczema page describe what a doctor looks for.

Why resistance matters with fusidic acid

Staphylococcus aureus becomes resistant to fusidic acid quickly when the cream is used often or for long periods. In some countries resistance rose sharply after years of free use. That is why:

• Courses are short, and the doctor tells you when to stop.
• It is not a cream to keep in the bathroom "for anything red".
• Fucibet is for a limited time on infected eczema, not for long-term eczema control.
• If the infection is not clearly better after a few days, the doctor may swab the skin or change treatment rather than continue.

How to use it properly

• Wash your hands before and after. Apply a thin layer to the affected area only, as prescribed.
• Keep impetigo covered and do not share towels, pillowcases or razors. Children with impetigo usually stay off school until the sores are crusted over or 48 hours after starting treatment.
• Do not put it in the eyes. If it gets in, rinse with water.
• It can be used in pregnancy and breastfeeding on small areas when a doctor advises it; avoid the breast area if you are feeding.
• Keep it out of children's reach and throw it away after the course.

Side effects and when to see a doctor

Side effects are uncommon: mild stinging, itching or redness where it is applied, and rarely an allergic skin reaction. See a doctor if:

• The infection is not improving after about five days, or is spreading.
• The area is hot, swollen and painful, or there are red streaks.
• You have a fever, or feel generally unwell.
• The sores keep coming back, or several people in the household are affected.
• The rash looks different from what the cream was prescribed for.

Call 112 if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, or a rapidly spreading red area with high fever and feeling very ill.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Look at the affected skin on camera, in good light, and ask how it started and how fast it is changing.
• Rule out a fungal or viral cause, which an antibiotic cream would not help.
• Explain whether an antiseptic, Fucidine, Fucibet, mupirocin or an oral antibiotic is the right choice, and for how long.
• Tell you if the infection needs to be seen in person or swabbed.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace the package leaflet or the advice of your doctor or pharmacist.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• AEMPS CIMA: Fucidine and Fucibet leaflets and prescription status
• NHS: Fusidic acid
• NHS: Impetigo
• MSD Manual: Impetigo and ecthyma
• MedlinePlus: Skin infections
• ECDC: Antimicrobial resistance

Related guides

• Mupirocin in Spain (Bactroban): what it treats
• Skin rash assessment online
• Eczema care online
• Insect bites and stings
• Which medicines need a prescription in Spain?
• Urgent Care video visit