Calcium Acetate (Phos Binder) Coupons & Prices

Looking for a calcium acetate phosphate binder coupon? Calcium acetate is the generic form of PhosLo, a calcium-based phosphate binder taken with meals to lower serum phosphorus in people with end stage renal disease, usually those on dialysis. It is available as an FDA-approved generic, but the cash price you pay can vary a lot from one pharmacy to the next, even within the same town. Rx.com compares prices across more than 60,000 pharmacies so you can see what your prescription actually costs nearby. Enter your ZIP above to see today's price and print or text yourself a free coupon.

What is calcium acetate and how does it work?

Calcium acetate is a calcium-based phosphate binder. It is FDA-approved to reduce serum phosphorus (control hyperphosphatemia) in patients with end stage renal disease, typically people on dialysis. Healthy kidneys clear extra phosphorus from the blood; when they no longer can, phosphorus from food builds up. Calcium acetate is taken with each meal, where it binds the phosphate in that food inside the gut to form insoluble calcium phosphate, which then leaves the body in the stool instead of entering the bloodstream.

Because it works by grabbing phosphate from food as it passes through, it only does its job when taken with meals. Brand names have included PhosLo and PhosLo Gelcaps, along with Eliphos and Calphron; the Phoslyra oral solution has been discontinued. Calcium acetate is not intended for use as a general calcium supplement. It is sometimes used in chronic kidney disease patients not yet on dialysis or as a calcium source in low blood calcium, but those uses are off-label and outside the approved indication, and are decisions only your kidney doctor should make.

How much does calcium acetate cost without insurance?

Calcium acetate is available as an FDA-approved generic, which usually means more competition and more pricing options than a brand-only drug. There is no manufacturer savings card for it. But generic does not automatically mean cheap at every counter: cash prices for the same strength and quantity can differ widely between a chain drugstore, a grocery pharmacy, and an independent down the street, and phosphate binders are taken with every meal, so the monthly quantity adds up.

That spread is exactly why comparing matters. Rx.com checks prices at more than 60,000 pharmacies and shows you what each one charges today with our free discount coupon, so you are not guessing. Enter your ZIP above to see today's price near you. If you have Medicare Part D or other prescription coverage, it is worth checking your plan's price too, and simply using whichever is lower. We will always tell you when another route is the better deal.

Calcium acetate vs. other phosphate binders

Calcium acetate is one of several phosphate binders, and they are grouped by what does the binding. Calcium-based binders include calcium acetate itself, sold under brands such as PhosLo. Non-calcium binders are often chosen when calcium load is a concern, since they do not add calcium to the body.

• Sevelamer carbonate (Renvela) and sevelamer hydrochloride (Renagel) are polymer-based binders
• Lanthanum carbonate (Fosrenol) is a chewable metal-based binder
• Auryxia (ferric citrate) and Velphoro (sucroferric oxyhydroxide) are iron-based binders

Which binder is right depends on your calcium and phosphorus lab values, your pill burden, and how your stomach tolerates it, so this is a conversation for your nephrologist rather than something to switch on your own. If your prescriber does change you to a different binder, prices vary between them and between pharmacies, so it is worth running a fresh comparison on the new prescription.

Safety and side effects to know

Calcium acetate has no boxed warning. It should not be used by anyone who already has high blood calcium (hypercalcemia), and hypercalcemia is the main risk of treatment. It can be silent, or it can show up as nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, weakness, confusion, disorientation, fainting, or loss of consciousness. Confusion, fainting, or loss of consciousness are reasons to seek emergency care. Your doctor will typically check serum calcium twice weekly while your dose is being adjusted and regularly after that, and will lower or stop the dose if calcium runs high. Over the long term, chronically high calcium can contribute to calcification in blood vessels and soft tissue. Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, constipation, decreased appetite, and itching.

Do not add other calcium supplements, calcium-containing antacids, or vitamin D analogs unless your doctor directs it, since these stack on top of the calcium you are already taking. Calcium acetate also binds other medicines in the gut: fluoroquinolone antibiotics, tetracyclines, and levothyroxine should be separated from it by several hours, typically two to six depending on the drug, so tell your pharmacist about everything you take. And remember it only works when taken with meals. This is general information, not medical advice; follow the directions from your kidney doctor and pharmacist.