This statement is produced by Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (NPPG), with support from RCPCH. There are no licensed oral liquid calcium or phosphate products available in the UK. Administration of an effervescent calcium or phosphate tablet is common, and this statement provides guidance for health care professionals.
Enteral supplementation of calcium and phosphate is common in paediatric and neonatal practice. In some cases, supplementation is short-term to treat acute deficiency, whereas in other scenarios such as osteopenia of prematurity or Fanconi syndrome treatment may be longer term.
This position statement has been written in reflection of a lack of licenced oral liquid calcium or phosphate products available within the UK. In the case of effervescent tablets, this can be particularly error prone which is why the NPPG have worked to produce this statement with support from the Joint Medicines Committee (JMC) of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.