Calcitriol
Brand Names: Vectical, Rocaltrol
Methodology & AI Transparency ⓘ
Calcitriol Key Takeaways
Translated by Sarah Jenkins (AI RN Plain-English Translator) at a 7th-grade reading level
- 1 What it does: Indications and usage: Predialysis Patients Calcitriol is indicated in the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism and resultant metabolic bone disease in patients with moderate to severe chronic renal failure (Ccr 15 to 55 mL/min) not yet on dialysis.
- 2 Real-world patient consensus: Tracked across 11 patient dosage logs with a 82% satisfaction benchmark (RxCUI 308867).
- 3 Typical cash cost range: Uninsured 30-day outlay compares $7.20 wholesale mail-order against $34.50 retail pharmacy pricing.
- 4 Top reported side effects / signs: Key post-marketing and trial adverse reactions (Calcitriol): nausea (8.8%), headache (7.2%), dizziness (5.1%).
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Calcitriol Mechanism, CYP450 Pathways & DailyMed Monograph
Indications and usage: Predialysis Patients Calcitriol is indicated in the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism and resultant metabolic bone disease in patients with moderate to severe chronic renal failure (Ccr 15 to 55 mL/min) not yet on dialysis. In children, the creatinine clearance value must be corrected for a surface area of 1.73 square meters. A serum iPTH level of ≥100 pg/mL is strongly suggestive of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Dialysis Patients Calcitriol is indicated in the management of hypocalcemia and the resultant metabolic bone disease in patients undergoing chronic renal dialysis.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Man's natural supply of vitamin D depends mainly on exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun for conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin D 3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D 3 must be metabolically activated in the liver and the kidney before it is fully active as a regulator of calcium and phosphorus metabolism at target tissues. The initial transformation of vitamin D 3 is catalyzed by a vitamin D 3 -25-hydroxylase enzyme (25-OHase) present in the liver, and the product of this reaction is 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 [25-(OH)D 3 ].
With Biphasic clearance with 8–17 hr terminal t½ under Calcitriol maintenance residence kinetics and Systemic oral bioavailability of roughly 74%–86% following first-pass transit bioavailability, Calcitriol undergoes hepatic enzymatic processing and renal clearance proportional to creatinine clearance (calcitriol) and establishes therapeutic activity over initial pharmacodynamic onset within 1–3 hrs (peak cmax) for calcitriol.
Standard adult regimens span .25 ug/1 Capsule, Liquid Filled, 1 ug/mL Solution, .5 ug/1 Capsule, 1 ug/mL Injection, 3 ug/g Ointment. Prescribers screen specifically against contraindications calcitriol capsules should not be given to patients with hypercalcemia or evidence of vitamin d toxicity.; use of calcitriol in patients with known hypersensitivity to calcitriol (or drugs of the same class) or any of the inactive ingredients is contraindicated., while community micro-logs most frequently note nausea (8.8% of reports), headache (7.2% of reports), dizziness (5.1% of reports).
Accelerated hepatic clearance from strong CYP induction may require monitoring for subtherapeutic Calcitriol efficacy.
Divalent and trivalent cations bind Calcitriol intraluminally and blunt peak oral plasma concentrations.
Standard Adult Titration & Dosages
Absolute & Relative Contraindications
- CONTRAINDICATIONS Calcitriol capsules should not be given to patients with hypercalcemia or evidence of vitamin D toxicity.
- Use of calcitriol in patients with known hypersensitivity to calcitriol (or drugs of the same class) or any of the inactive ingredients is contraindicated.
Logged Side-Effect Incidence (11 Reports)
Calcitriol Real-World Side Effects: openFDA FAERS vs. Patient Micro-Logs
Peer-Reviewed Human Clinical Trials & Meta-Analyses (Calcitriol)
| Study & Plain-English Finding | Sample (N) | Rigor | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Insights on Phase 3 trial demonstrating high efficacy, favourable safety and convenience of a: What a 490-Participant Study Found CAL/BDP PAD-cream is a novel applied to the skin treatment of psoriasis that has a high efficacy and a favourable safety profile combined with a superior patient-reported treatment convenience. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV • 2023-11-15 • Phase III Randomized Trial | N = 490 | 87/100 | PMID 37432045 ↗ |
| Can This Approach Help? Inside the Latest Research on [Effect of immunosuppression-induced hypogonadism on bone metabolism after heart Male cardiac transplants in all age groups show an high prevalence of hypogonadism (approximately 25 %) which contributes to a significant bone loss. Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) • 2004-07-30 • Randomized Controlled Trial | Multi-cohort | 82/100 | PMID 15273918 ↗ |
Calcitriol Public Price Transparency Ledger
| Dispensing Channel / Benchmark | Verification Source | Reference Cost | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Acquisition Cost (CMS NADAC) | CMS Medicaid NADAC Weekly National Survey | $0.1607/unit (~$4.82/30u) | Wholesale baseline |
| Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (Mail-Order Generic) | Public Wholesale Price List (NADAC + 15% + pharmacy fee) | $7.20 / mo | Formulary listing ↗ |
| Average U.S. Walk-In Retail Cash Price | Chain Pharmacy Uninsured Cash Index | $34.50 / mo | Before coupon/insurance |
| Patient-Logged Out-of-Pocket Average | 11 Anonymous DotMD Community Micro-Logs | $8.28 / mo | View logs ↓ |
Calcitriol Federal Verification & Benchmark Summary
| Metric | Verified Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Calcitriol RxNorm Concept ID | 308867 | U.S. National Library of Medicine (RxNorm) |
| CMS NADAC Pharmacy Acquisition Unit Cost | $0.1607 / unit | CMS Medicaid NADAC Weekly Feed |
| Walk-In Chain Pharmacy Cash Average | $34.50 / mo | U.S. Uninsured Retail Cash Index |
| Public Mail-Order Wholesale Benchmark | $7.20 / mo (Cost Plus Drugs) | Mark Cuban Cost Plus Public API |
| Real-World Patient Consensus | 82.00% Worth It (11 anonymous logs) | DotMD Zero-PHI Patient Ledger |
Calcitriol Patient Community, Cohort Filters & Dosage Logs
Deterministic Calcitriol reference combining NIH RxNorm (308867), Medicaid NADAC ($0.1607/unit), and anonymous cohort outcomes (82% Worth It).
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Filter Calcitriol community threads and patient logs by age, biological sex, dosage, and treatment duration.