calcium acetate: prescribing and clinical use
Focused clinical detail for use alongside current product information, local policy and patient-specific assessment.
calcium acetate: clinical details
Prescribing considerations
- Licensed for adults with dialysis-associated hyperphosphataemia; paediatric experience is unavailable.
- Review total calcium exposure, vitamin D treatment and medicines susceptible to binding or calcium-related effects.
- The selected tablet contains sucrose and should not be used in certain rare hereditary sugar-intolerance disorders.
- Consider gastrointestinal tolerance and ability to swallow an unchewed tablet.
Contraindications and cautions
- Hypersensitivity to calcium acetate or an excipient.
- Hypophosphataemia, hypercalcaemia or hypercalciuria associated with calcium-containing renal stones.
- Decalcifying tumours, skeletal metastases or osteoporosis caused by immobilisation.
- Severe renal failure without dialysis.
- Constipation or known large-bowel stenosis.
Monitoring
- Measure serum calcium and phosphate regularly.
- Review concurrent calcium-containing products and vitamin D.
- Assess for hypercalcaemia, gastrointestinal intolerance and extraosseous calcification.
Clinical pharmacology
Calcium acetate dissociates in the gastrointestinal tract. Calcium combines with dietary phosphate to form less-soluble salts, reducing intestinal phosphate absorption; some calcium is systemically absorbed.
Formulation and product differences
- The selected product is a white, round, convex film-coated tablet that must be swallowed with liquid and not chewed. It contains sucrose and gelatin and is essentially sodium-free.
calcium acetate preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 475 mg, 950 mg
calcium acetate interactions
Calcium acetate can bind medicines in the gut or alter their effects. Ask a pharmacist how interacting treatments should be separated or monitored.
Tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics
Their absorption may be reduced, potentially making treatment less effective.
Bisphosphonates and fluoride products
Their absorption may be reduced.
Anticholinergic medicines
Their absorption may be altered.
Vitamin D preparations or other calcium products
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.