Calcitriol
Calcitriol is the active form of vitamin D, used in oral and intravenous forms to manage low calcium and bone problems tied to kidney disease or low parathyroid function, and as an ointment for mild to moderate plaque psoriasis.
🧬 Where this information comes from
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 30 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Calcitriol is the active form of vitamin D, an older standby on the market since the late 1970s and available as a generic, that helps the gut absorb calcium to treat low calcium, overactive parathyroid glands (secondary hyperparathyroidism) and related bone disease in kidney disease and low parathyroid function. Most people notice little day to day, but the usual complaints (nausea, constipation, headache, a metallic taste) can also be early signs of too much calcium. High blood calcium is the main risk, so keep every calcium and phosphate blood test and report growing weakness, thirst or urination. Vectical ointment is a separate, skin-only use for mild to moderate plaque psoriasis.
Clinical pearls
- Skip over-the-counter vitamin D and extra calcium supplements unless your prescriber approves, since stacking them with calcitriol can push calcium dangerously high.
- On dialysis, keep up your phosphate binder and low-phosphate diet, and avoid magnesium-containing antacids entirely.
- Tell anyone prescribing a thiazide water pill or digoxin that you take calcitriol, because both make high calcium more dangerous.
- Use Vectical ointment only on psoriasis plaques, keeping it away from the eyes, lips and facial skin.
Patient Information Guide A plain-language walkthrough of Calcitriol, written from its FDA label.
What Calcitriol Is Used For
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Calcitriol has different uses depending on the product.
- Oral calcitriol (capsules and oral solution, including Rocaltrol): secondary hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid glands) and related bone disease in moderate to severe chronic renal failure before dialysis.
- Oral calcitriol (capsules and oral solution, including Rocaltrol): low calcium and bone disease in people on chronic dialysis.
- Oral calcitriol (capsules and oral solution, including Rocaltrol): low calcium in postsurgical, idiopathic or pseudohypoparathyroidism.
- Calcitriol injection (intravenous): low calcium in people on chronic renal dialysis, and it lowers elevated parathyroid hormone levels.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment (topical): mild to moderate plaque psoriasis in adults and children 2 years and older.
How Calcitriol Works
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Calcitriol is the active form of vitamin D3. The liver and kidneys normally convert vitamin D into it, but damaged kidneys cannot do this well. That causes low calcium and overactive parathyroid glands, which harm bone.
Calcitriol helps the intestine absorb calcium and acts on bone. It may also act on the kidney and parathyroid glands.
Calcitriol Dosage
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Your prescriber sets the right amount for you. Treatment starts low and is raised only with careful blood calcium checks.
- Oral calcitriol comes as a capsule or oral solution taken by mouth.
- Calcitriol injection is given into a vein only, about every other day (three times weekly) when started.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment go on affected skin twice daily and are never used on the eyes, lips or face.
Follow your prescriber and the label.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Calcitriol prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Dialysis Patients
- Initial 0.25 mcg/day
- If response is unsatisfactory, may be increased by 0.25 mcg/day at 4- to 8-week intervals
- Patients with normal or only slightly reduced serum calcium may respond to 0.25 mcg every other day
- Most hemodialysis patients respond to doses between 0.5 and 1 mcg/day
- Check serum calcium at least twice weekly during titration; discontinue immediately if hypercalcemia occurs until normocalcemia ensues
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Initial 0.25 mcg/day given in the morning
- May be increased at 2- to 4-week intervals
- Most adults and pediatric patients age 6 years and older have responded to 0.5 mcg to 2 mcg daily
- Pediatric patients 1 to 5 years usually given 0.25 mcg to 0.75 mcg daily; too few pseudohypoparathyroidism patients under 6 years to make dosage recommendations; larger doses may be needed with malabsorption
- Predialysis Patients (adults and pediatric patients 3 years of age and older)
- Initial 0.25 mcg/day
- May be increased if necessary to 0.5 mcg/day
- Predialysis Patients (pediatric patients less than 3 years of age)
- Initial 10 to 15 ng/kg/day
- Weight-based dose
- Vectical Ointment, adults (topical)
- Apply to affected areas twice daily, morning and evening
- Maximum: Maximum weekly dose should not exceed 200 grams
- Not for eyes, lips, or facial skin; topical use only
- Vectical Ointment, pediatric 2 to 6 years of age
- Apply to affected areas twice daily
- Maximum: Maximum weekly dose should not exceed 100 grams
- Vectical Ointment, pediatric 7 years of age and older
- Apply to affected areas twice daily
- Maximum: Maximum weekly dose should not exceed 200 grams
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The optimal daily dose of calcitriol capsules must be carefully determined for each patient. Calcitriol can be administered orally as a capsule (0.25 mcg or 0.50 mcg). Calcitriol therapy should always be started at the lowest possible dose and should not be increased without careful monitoring of serum calcium. The effectiveness of calcitriol capsule therapy is predicated on the assumption that each patient is receiving an adequate but not excessive daily intake of calcium. Patients are advised to have a dietary intake of calcium at a minimum of 600 mg daily. The U.S. RDA for calcium in adults is 800 mg to 1200 mg. To ensure that each patient receives an adequate daily intake of calcium, the physician should either prescribe a calcium supplement or instruct the patient in proper dietary measures. Because of improved calcium absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, some patients on calcitriol may be maintained on a lower calcium intake. Patients who tend to develop hypercalcemia may require only low doses of calcium or no supplementation at all. During the titration period of treatment with calcitriol, serum calcium levels should be checked at least twice weekly. When the optimal dosage of calcitriol has been determined, serum calcium levels should be checked every month (or as given below for individual indications). Samples for serum calcium estimation should be taken without a tourniquet. Dialysis Patients The recommended initial dose of calcitriol capsules is 0.25 mcg/day. If a satisfactory response in the biochemical parameters and clinical manifestations of the disease state is not observed, dosage may be increased by 0.25 mcg/day at 4 to 8 week intervals. During this titration period, serum calcium levels should be obtained at least twice weekly, and if hypercalcemia is noted, the drug should be immediately discontinued until normocalcemia ensues (see PRECAUTIONS , General ). Phosphorus, magnesium, and alkaline phosphatase should be determined periodically. Patients with normal or only slightly reduced serum calcium levels may respond to calcitriol capsule doses of 0.25 mcg every other day. Most patients undergoing hemodialysis respond to doses between 0.5 and 1 mcg/day. Oral calcitriol capsules may normalize plasma ionized calcium in some uremic patients, yet fail to suppress parathyroid hyperfunction.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Calcitriol Side Effects
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Most side effects come from too much calcium in the blood.
Common side effects
- Weakness
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Constipation
- Muscle or bone pain
- Metallic taste
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor if you have signs of high calcium: increasing weakness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, bone pain, or heavy thirst and urination.
- Get urgent help for severe or worsening high calcium. It can need emergency care.
- Call your doctor for an irregular heartbeat, confusion, or marked changes in mood or behavior.
- Seek help right away for a rash, hives, or swelling of the lips, which can be an allergic reaction.
- Tell your doctor about severe skin reactions or new itching.
Calcitriol Warnings and Precautions
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- High calcium is the main risk. Severe cases can need emergency care.
- Long-lasting high calcium can cause calcium deposits in blood vessels, the kidneys and other tissues.
- Calcitriol raises phosphate, which is a concern in kidney failure. Dialysis patients may need a phosphate binder and a low-phosphate diet.
- Avoid other vitamin D products and uncontrolled calcium while on calcitriol.
Calcitriol Interactions
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Several medicines and supplements can change calcium levels or calcitriol's effect.
- Vitamin D products: can add up and cause high calcium.
- Calcium supplements: avoid uncontrolled extra amounts.
- Thiazide diuretics: can raise calcium.
- Digitalis: high calcium may cause irregular heartbeats.
- Magnesium antacids: may cause high magnesium in dialysis patients.
- Cholestyramine: may reduce calcitriol absorption.
- Phenytoin or phenobarbital: may mean higher calcitriol doses are needed.
- Corticosteroids: work against calcitriol's effect on calcium absorption.
- Phosphate binders: doses may need adjustment.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Calcitriol prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Cholestyramine: Cholestyramine has been reported to reduce intestinal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and may impair intestinal absorption of calcitriol.
- Phenytoin/Phenobarbital: Does not affect plasma concentrations of calcitriol but may reduce endogenous plasma levels of 25(OH)D3 by accelerating metabolism, so calcitriol blood level will be reduced. Higher doses of calcitriol may be necessary if these drugs are given simultaneously.
- Thiazides: Thiazides induce hypercalcemia by reducing urinary calcium excretion; concomitant use with calcitriol has been reported to cause hypercalcemia. Take precaution when coadministration is necessary.
- Digitalis: Hypercalcemia in patients treated with digitalis may precipitate cardiac arrhythmias. Calcitriol dosage must be determined with care.
- Ketoconazole: Ketoconazole may inhibit both synthetic and catabolic enzymes of calcitriol; reductions in serum endogenous calcitriol were seen after 300 mg/day to 1200 mg/day ketoconazole for a week in healthy men; in vivo interaction studies with calcitriol have not been investigated.
- Corticosteroids: Functional antagonism exists between vitamin D analogues, which promote calcium absorption, and corticosteroids, which inhibit it.
- Phosphate-Binding Agents: Calcitriol affects phosphate transport in the intestine, kidneys and bones. Adjust the dosage of phosphate-binding agents according to serum phosphate concentration.
- Vitamin D: Calcitriol is the most potent active metabolite of vitamin D3, so pharmacological doses of vitamin D and derivatives may cause additive effects and hypercalcemia. Withhold pharmacological doses of vitamin D and its derivatives during calcitriol treatment.
- Calcium Supplements: Additional calcium-containing preparations taken in an uncontrolled way are a concern. Avoid uncontrolled intake of additional calcium-containing preparations.
- Magnesium: Magnesium-containing preparations (e.g., antacids) may cause hypermagnesemia. Should not be taken during calcitriol therapy by patients on chronic renal dialysis.
Read the label’s full interactions text
Drug Interactions Cholestyramine Cholestyramine has been reported to reduce intestinal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins; as such it may impair intestinal absorption of calcitriol. (see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS , General ). Phenytoin/Phenobarbital The coadministration of phenytoin or phenobarbital will not affect plasma concentrations of calcitriol, but may reduce endogenous plasma levels of 25(OH)D 3 by accelerating metabolism. Since blood level of calcitriol will be reduced, higher doses of calcitriol may be necessary if these drugs are administered simultaneously. Thiazides Thiazides are known to induce hypercalcemia by the reduction of calcium excretion in urine. Some reports have shown that the concomitant administration of thiazides with calcitriol causes hypercalcemia. Therefore, precaution should be taken when coadministration is necessary. Digitalis Calcitriol dosage must be determined with care in patients undergoing treatment with digitalis, as hypercalcemia in such patients may precipitate cardiac arrhythmias (see PRECAUTIONS , General ). Ketoconazole Ketoconazole may inhibit both synthetic and catabolic enzymes of calcitriol. Reductions in serum endogenous calcitriol concentrations have been observed following the administration of 300 mg/day to 1200 mg/day ketoconazole for a week to healthy men. However, in vivo drug interaction studies of ketoconazole with calcitriol have not been investigated. Corticosteroids A relationship of functional antagonism exists between vitamin D analogues, which promote calcium absorption, and corticosteroids, which inhibit calcium absorption. Phosphate-Binding Agents Since calcitriol also has an effect on phosphate transport in the intestine, kidneys and bones, the dosage of phosphate-binding agents must be adjusted in accordance with the serum phosphate concentration.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before Taking Calcitriol
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- Oral calcitriol should not be used with high calcium or vitamin D toxicity.
- Do not use it if you are allergic to calcitriol or any ingredient.
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney failure or are on dialysis.
- Calcitriol ointment has not been studied in people with known or suspected calcium metabolism disorders.
- Calcitriol may reach the fetus and passes into breast milk at low levels.
- No studies have looked at calcitriol in older adults.
Calcitriol Overdose
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Too much calcitriol can cause high calcium, high calcium in urine and high phosphate, with symptoms like those of vitamin D overdose. The label says treatment includes stopping calcitriol, a low-calcium diet and stopping calcium supplements, with frequent calcium checks. High calcium often clears in 2 to 7 days. Seek emergency help for a suspected overdose.
What Calcitriol Does in the Body
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Calcitriol is the most active known form of vitamin D3 at boosting calcium transport in the intestine. Its main sites of action are the intestine and bone. Its benefit in kidney-related bone disease appears to come from correcting low calcium and secondary hyperparathyroidism. A single dose is active for about 3 to 5 days.
How Your Body Processes Calcitriol
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Calcitriol is absorbed rapidly from the intestine, with peak blood levels about 3 to 6 hours after an oral dose. Steady state is reached within 7 days of repeated dosing. It is highly bound to proteins in blood. Its half-life is about 5 to 8 hours in healthy people, and at least twice as long in chronic renal failure and hemodialysis. Metabolites leave mainly in the feces.
How to Store Calcitriol
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Store at 20° to 25°C (68°-77°F) .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Calcitriol: Pharmacist Answers to Common Questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Calcitriol — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is calcitriol used for?
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How should I take it?
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Do I need to watch my calcium intake?
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What side effects should I call about?
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Can I take antacids with it?
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What if I am pregnant or nursing?
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Is Calcitriol available over the counter?
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When was Calcitriol first available?
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Who makes Calcitriol?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More About Calcitriol on HelloPharmacist
Calcitriol Forms and Strengths (How It Comes)
Calcitriol is available in 4 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Calcitriol inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Capsule
How this form is used
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol are used for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone disease in moderate to severe chronic renal failure not yet on dialysis.
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol are used for low calcium in people on chronic dialysis.
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol are used for low calcium in postsurgical, idiopathic or pseudohypoparathyroidism.
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol are taken by mouth, and the daily amount is set for each patient.
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol start at the lowest possible dose and are not increased without careful serum calcium monitoring.
- Calcitriol capsules and Rocaltrol work best with adequate but not excessive calcium intake.
Oral solution
How this form is used
- Calcitriol oral solution and Rocaltrol are used for secondary hyperparathyroidism and bone disease in chronic renal failure not yet on dialysis.
- Calcitriol oral solution and Rocaltrol are used for low calcium in people on chronic dialysis and in hypoparathyroidism.
- Calcitriol oral solution and Rocaltrol are taken by mouth, and the daily amount is individualized.
- Calcitriol oral solution and Rocaltrol start at the lowest possible dose and are not increased without careful serum calcium monitoring.
Topical cream, ointment or gel
How this form is used
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment are used on the skin for mild to moderate plaque psoriasis in adults and children 2 years and older.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment are applied to affected areas twice daily, morning and evening.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment should not be applied to the eyes, lips or facial skin.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment are for skin use only, not oral, eye or vaginal use.
- Vectical and calcitriol ointment have weekly maximum amounts that differ by age.
Injection
How this form is used
- Calcitriol injection is used for low calcium in people on chronic renal dialysis.
- Calcitriol injection has been shown to significantly reduce elevated parathyroid hormone levels.
- Calcitriol injection is for intravenous use only.
- Calcitriol injection is generally given about three times weekly, and the dose is individualized.
- Calcitriol injection requires frequent blood calcium and phosphorus checks while the dose is adjusted.
Calcitriol on the U.S. Market: Products, Makers and Brands
How Calcitriol appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
23 companies list 41 Calcitriol product records with the FDA, mostly as capsule, oral solution, topical cream, ointment or gel; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1978. Brand names on the directory include Rocaltrol, Vectical; the rest are generics.
FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Unfinished capsule, liquid filled (7) · Powder (6) · Unfinished capsule (2) · Unfinished capsule, gelatin coated (2) — bulk drug substance and unfinished product sold to compounders and other manufacturers to finish, and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How Widely Calcitriol Is Used (Medicaid Data)
A general measure of how commonly Calcitriol is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Calcitriol is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Calcitriol prescribed? Of the 1,603 medications we measure, Calcitriol ranks #297 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 81% of them.
Utilization by Calcitriol product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
calcitriol 0.00025 MG Oral Capsule Most dispensed
Summed across the 13 of 44 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 308867
calcitriol 0.0005 MG Oral Capsule
Summed across the 6 of 24 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 308868
calcitriol 0.001 MG/ML Oral Solution
Summed across the 2 of 5 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 313932
calcitriol 0.000003 MG/MG Topical Ointment
Summed across the 1 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 388517
1 ML calcitriol 0.001 MG/ML Injection
Summed across the 1 of 4 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 308869
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Calcitriol, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 23 of 81 listed Calcitriol NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Calcitriol Products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Calcitriol — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Capsule | ||||
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions × 2 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | American Health Packaging | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Aphena Pharma Solutions - Tennessee, LLC × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Bionpharma Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Bionpharma Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Bryant Ranch Prepack × 3 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Cardinal Health 107, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Chartwell RX, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Chartwell RX, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Epic Pharma Llc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Epic Pharma Llc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Golden State Medical Supply, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Strides Pharma Science Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Strides Pharma Science Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.25 mcg | Oral | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mcg | Oral | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Injection | ||||
| 1 mcg/mL | Intravenous | Fosun Pharma Usa Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mcg/mL | Intravenous | Gland Pharma Limited | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Oral solution | ||||
| 1 mcg/mL | Oral | ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mcg/mL | Oral | Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mcg/mL | Oral | Patrin Pharma, Inc | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 1 mcg/mL | Oral | Rising Pharma Holdings, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Topical cream, ointment or gel | ||||
| 3 mcg/g | Topical | Galderma Laboratories, L.P. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 3 mcg/g | Topical | Padagis Israel Pharmaceuticals Ltd | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
Showing 41 of 41 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 41 Calcitriol NDCs →
Calcitriol Side Effects Reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Calcitriol — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
The effects most often named in FDA reports that mention Calcitriol are nausea, diarrhoea, chronic kidney disease; about 77% of the reports were classed as serious. These are voluntary reports, so they show what people report, not how often it happens.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Calcitriol in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Calcitriol FDA Approval History
How Calcitriol went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Calcitriol was first approved by the FDA in 1978 (Brand: ROCALTROL · Esjay Pharma); the first generic version was approved in 2001. It remains available in U.S. pharmacies today.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Calcitriol Recall History
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Calcitriol recalls since July 2021.
✅No Calcitriol recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Oct 8, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 1894 4 dose forms · 6 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Injection RxCUI 1729380In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 1 ML calcitriol 0.001 MG/MLRxCUI 3088691 ML calcitriol 0.002 MG/MLRxCUI 308870 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Capsule RxCUI 371189In current FDA listings -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Solution RxCUI 371190In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.001 MG/MLRxCUI 313932 -
Dose form (SCDF) Topical Ointment RxCUI 393343In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.000003 MG/MGRxCUI 388517
Look up RxCUI 1894 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Calcitriol Supply and Shortage Status
Whether Calcitriol is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Calcitriol is not in shortage right now; the FDA has 2 past shortage records for it.
✅No current shortage of Calcitriol on recordRead the full Calcitriol shortage page — affected NDCs, other makers, and what to do →
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Calcitriol Costs Pharmacies (NADAC Benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capsule · Oral | 0.25 mcg | $0.161 per capsule | NDC details & price history |
| Capsule · Oral | 0.5 mcg | $0.234 per capsule | NDC details & price history |
| Capsule, Liquid Filled · Oral | 0.25 mcg | $0.153 per capsule | NDC details & price history |
| Capsule, Liquid Filled · Oral | 0.5 mcg | $0.234 per capsule | NDC details & price history |
| Solution · Oral | 1 mcg/mL | $6.60 per mL | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Calcitriol Brand Names
Calcitriol is sold under 2 brand names in the FDA directory — Rocaltrol, Vectical. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who Makes Calcitriol: Manufacturers and Labelers
23 companies list Calcitriol products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Bryant Ranch Prepack, Aphena Pharma Solutions - Tennessee, LLC, A-S Medication Solutions. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Calcitriol Drug Class (RxNorm)
Calcitriol belongs to the Vitamin D3 Analog class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for This Calcitriol Page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →