If Ampicillin is prescribed concurrently with an aminoglycoside, the antibiotics should not be mixed in the syringe, intravenous fluid container or giving set because loss of activity of the aminoglycoside can occur under these conditions.
Bacteriostatic drugs may interfere with the bactericidal action of ampicillin. In common with other oral broad-spectrum antibiotics, ampicillin may reduce the efficacy of oral contraceptives and patients should be warned accordingly.
Probenecid decreases the renal tubular secretion of ampicillin. Concurrent use with ampicillin may result in increased and prolonged blood levels of ampicillin. Concurrent administration of allopurinol during treatment with ampicillin can increase the likelihood of allergic skin reactions.
It is recommended that when testing for the presence of glucose in urine during ampicillin treatment, enzymatic glucose oxidase methods should be used. Due to the high urinary concentrations of ampicillin, false positive readings are common with chemical methods.