Official answer. Azithromycin is not available over the counter, it is a prescription medicine that must be prescribed by a doctor. But individual generics can be bought without a prescription such as Z-Pack. Zithromax is an antibiotic that may be used to treat infections caused by susceptible bacteria such as Mycobacterium avium, etc.
Azithromycin (Zithromax) is used to treat a variety of bacterial infections and is available as a generic
Generic azithromycin is covered by most Medicare and insurance plans, but some pharmacy coupons or cash prices may be lower.
So, what is a Z-pack actually? Unfortunately, many patients don't know or aren't told that the “Z” in Z-pak stands for azithromycin, which is a powerful macrolide antibiotic. All medicines in this class work by stopping bacteria reproduction, eventually killing the population, and curing the infection.
The researchers found both drugs to be effective and well-tolerated. A 2021 meta-analysis (analysis of many studies) looked at azithromycin vs Augmentin for middle ear infections in children and concluded that although both drugs are effective, azithromycin may be safer and better tolerated.