dried ferrous sulfate bp: prescribing and clinical use
Focused clinical detail for use alongside current product information, local policy and patient-specific assessment.
dried ferrous sulfate bp: clinical details
Prescribing considerations
- Confirm iron deficiency and investigate its cause rather than treating unexplained anaemia indefinitely.
- Exclude coexisting vitamin B12 or folate deficiency where clinically relevant.
- Review gastrointestinal history, previous gastric surgery, ongoing blood loss and concurrent iron products.
- Assess swallowing and aspiration risk; consider another formulation if risk is significant.
- Poor absorption may occur after gastrectomy.
Contraindications and cautions
- Hypersensitivity to ferrous sulfate or an excipient
- Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria
- Haemochromatosis or haemosiderosis
- Active peptic ulcer
- Repeated blood transfusions
- Regional enteritis or ulcerative colitis
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Concurrent oral and parenteral iron
Monitoring
- Use blood counts and appropriate iron studies to confirm deficiency and assess response.
- Review adherence, absorption, ongoing blood loss and diagnosis if improvement is inadequate.
- Monitor gastrointestinal tolerability, dysphagia, aspiration symptoms and tablet administration.
- Avoid excessive iron accumulation and reassess continuing need.
Clinical pharmacology
Ferrous sulfate supplies absorbable ferrous iron. Absorbed iron binds transferrin and is incorporated into haemoglobin, myoglobin, iron-containing enzymes and storage proteins such as ferritin.
Formulation and product differences
- This product is a white, round, film-coated oral tablet.
- This tablet presentation is not recommended for children.
- It contains aspartame and is essentially sodium-free.
- Tablets must be swallowed whole; people with dysphagia may need an alternative formulation.
dried ferrous sulfate bp preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 200 mg
dried ferrous sulfate bp interactions
Oral iron can reduce the absorption of other medicines. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber to check timing, monitoring and whether an alternative is needed.
Tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics
Iron can reduce antibiotic absorption, and tetracyclines can also reduce iron absorption.
Levothyroxine
Ferrous sulfate reduces levothyroxine absorption, so they should not be taken together.
Antacids and calcium- or magnesium-containing products
These can reduce iron absorption.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.