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Nutritional source (calcium, protein, vitamin D)

Dairy products

Brand names: various oral nutritional supplements

Dairy products are listed here because their calcium content can interfere with the absorption of certain medicines rather than as a medicinal product in their own right.

Dosing — being independently re-sourced

ClinCalc Pro is rebuilding its dose data from primary open sources — the manufacturer SmPC (eMC), the WHO Model Formulary and other official references — under clinician review. This drug's structured dose is not yet published here. Confirm all doses against the product SmPC and your local formulary before prescribing.

Clinical monograph

How it works

The calcium in milk and dairy foods can form poorly absorbed complexes (chelates) with some drugs in the gut, reducing the amount of drug absorbed.

Prescribing in practice

  • Separating dosing from dairy intake is important for drugs whose absorption is reduced by calcium, such as tetracyclines and some quinolone antibiotics and bisphosphonates, to preserve their efficacy.
  • Advise an appropriate interval between taking the affected medicine and consuming milk or dairy foods, as set out for the individual drug.
  • Check the prescribing information of the specific medicine for guidance on whether it should be separated from dairy products or other calcium-containing items.

Monitoring

No specific monitoring applies; ensure affected medicines are taken at the recommended interval from dairy intake to maintain their effect.

Counselling the patient

  • If advised, leave the recommended gap between taking the medicine and consuming milk or dairy products.
  • Ask your pharmacist if you are unsure whether a particular medicine is affected by dairy foods.

Evidence & guidelines

The interaction between calcium-containing foods and certain drugs is well documented in pharmacology and prescribing references.

Reference: NICE NG121; NICE CKS Calcium and Vitamin D; Confirm identity and dosing against the manufacturer SPC (eMC) and NICE. Verify against your local formulary and current prescribing references before prescribing. Monograph status: clinician-reviewed (2026-07-04).

Related

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

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