Advising individuals to purchase over-the-counter is the preferred option for prevention of deficiency.
In the case of prescribing, prescribers are asked to avoid generic prescribing of vitamin D to ensure expensive ‘specials’ are not dispensed.
Prevention * | ||
| Dosage | Price (28 days) As per DM+D May 2020 | |
| 400IU Daily | ||
Invita D3® 400IU (10mcg) caps †note this dose is off-label | 1 daily† | £1.85 |
Invita D3® 2400IU/ml drops ‡ (1 drop contains 67 IU) ‡only licensed in children, pregnancy and breastfeeding | 6 drops daily (400IU/10mcg) | £3.36 |
Fultium D3® 2740IU/ml drops (3 drops contain 200IU) †note this dose is off-label | 6 drops daily (400IU/10mcg)† | £3.50 |
| 800IU Daily | ||
Aviticol®800IU (20mcg) caps | 1 daily | £2.08 |
Strivit D3® 800IU (20mcg) caps | 1 daily | £2.33 |
Invita D3® 800IU (20mcg) caps | 1 daily | £2.50 |
Desunin® 800IU (20mcg) tabs | 1daily | £3.36 |
Fultium D3® 800IU (20mcg) caps | 1 daily | £3.36 |
Thorens® 10,000IU/ml drops (1 drop contains200IU) | 4 drops daily (800IU/20mcg) | £1.31 |
| 1000IU Daily | ||
Stexerol D3® 1000IU (25mcg) tabs | 1 daily | £2.50 |
| 5600IU weekly | ||
Invita D3® 5600IU (140mcg) caps | 1 weekly | £2.50 |
Treatment* | ||
Dosage | Price (28 days) As per DM+D May 2020 | |
3,200IU daily | ||
Fultium D3® 3,200IU (80mcg) caps | 1 daily | £12.43 |
Strivit D3® 3,200IU (80mcg) caps | 1 daily | £8.70 |
4,000IU daily | ||
Desunin® 4,000IU (100mcg) tabs | 1 daily | £6.36 |
Stexerol D3® 1,000IU (25mcg) tabs | 4 daily | £10.00 |
| 20,000IU weekly | ||
Strivit D3® 20,000IU (500mcg) caps | 1 weekly | £3.84 |
| 25,000IU weekly | ||
Thorens® 25,000IU/2.5ml drops | 2.5ml weekly | £5.85 |
| 40,000IU weekly | ||
Aviticol® 20,000IU (500mcg) caps | 2 weekly | £5.40 |
Fultium D3® 20,000IU (500mcg) caps | 2 weekly | £9.09 |
Plenachol® 40,000IU (1000mcg) caps | 1 weekly | £6.00 |
| 50,000IU weekly | ||
Invita D3® 50,000IU (1250mcg) caps | 1 weekly | £8.33 |
Stexerol D3® 25,000IU (625mcg) tabs | 2 weekly | £11.33 |
* This information has been compiled to demonstrate how colecalciferol supplementation may be prescribed using different cost effective licensed preparations of various strengths. Prescribers should refer to the individual product’s SPC for specifics on treatment and prevention doses and durations as well as that in pregnancy or higher risk populations e.g. obese patients, those that are hospitalised or have malabsorptive syndromes.