Certain drugs, which can kill white blood cells or harm the bone marrow, can also induce a low white blood cell count. Antibiotics, for example, can occasionally result in an unexpected decline in neutrophils, a disease known as neutropenia. People who suffer from this condition are at risk of developing serious infections that may be difficult to treat because their immune systems are impaired. Amoxicillin is one of these antibiotics. It can cause a low white blood cell count by harming the production of new neutrophils in the bone marrow. The chance of this happening depends on how you are taking the drug and why you are taking it. If you are at risk of developing neutropenia, for example if you have leukemia or lymphoma, your doctor may want to monitor your white blood cell count during treatment with amoxicillin. People who take corticosteroids for long periods of time are at increased risk of developing amoxicillin-induced neutropenia. The same thing happens to those who take chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer. Those who need to take multiple medications daily are more likely to develop amoxicillin-induced neutropenia. This problem is especially common among older adults who have many different medicines prescribed to them every day. The only way to prevent neutropenia is not to take any medication that can harm the bone marrow.