Oral and parenteral iron preparations*
| Generic name | Brand name | Daily or alternate day dosing | Dose, mg | Elemental iron, mg/tab | Daily estimated cost, $† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral iron | |||||
| Ferrous gluconate | Floradix, Floravit | 1 to 2 tabs | 300 | 35 | 0.10 |
| Ferrous sulfate | Ferodan, Ferrotrate | 1 tab | 300 | 60 | 0.20 |
| Ferrous fumarate | Palafer, EuroFer | 1 tab | 300 | 100 | 0.25 |
| Ferrous bisglycinate | Ferrochel, CanPrev | 1 tab | 25 | 25 | 0.30 |
| Polysaccharide iron complex | Feramax | 1 tab | 150 | 150 | 0.75 |
| Heme iron polypeptide | OptiFerA, Proferrin | 2 to 3 tabs | 398 | 11 | 2.40 |
| Parenteral iron | |||||
| Iron sucrose | Venofer | 200–300 mg in a single dose over 2 h§ | — | 375 | |
| Ferric derisomaltose‡ | Monoferric | 500–1500 mg in a single dose over 30 to 60 min§ | — | 450–900 | |
↵* List does not include all available formulations.
↵† Cost will vary depending on geographic location and place of purchase; costs determined by Dr. Nastaran Ostad, Perinatal Pharmacist, Sinai Health System (personal communication, 2021).
↵‡ Not yet approved for use in pregnancy; studies including pregnant and breastfeeding women are ongoing.
↵§ Total parenteral iron replacement dose based on Ganzoni formula, which can then be divided into several doses based on individual product monographs for maximum per single dose): total iron dose (mg) = weight (kg) × [target hemoglobin – actual hemoglobin (g/dL)] × 2.4 + iron stores (mg) [where iron stores for adults should consist of 500 mg]; to convert hemoglobin in g/L to g/dL, divide by 10.