 Linezolid is quite expensive ; a course of treatment may cost one or two thousand U.S. dollars for the drug alone , not to mention other costs ( such as those associated with hospital stay ) . However , because intravenous linezolid may be switched to an oral formulation ( tablets or oral solution ) without jeopardizing efficacy , patients may be discharged from hospital relatively early and continue treatment at home , whereas home treatment with injectable antibiotics may be impractical . Reducing the length of hospital stay reduces the overall cost of treatment , even though linezolid may have a higher acquisition cost — that is , it may be more expensive — than comparable antibiotics . 
