1 May 2026Oral drugs
Folic acid = Vitamin B9 oral
Folic acid guidance for folate-deficient megaloblastic anemia, with key exclusions for antifolate-related anemia.
Prescription under medical supervision
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Antianaemia drug.
Indications
Treatment of folate-deficient megaloblastic anaemias due to severe malnutrition, repeated attacks of malaria, intestinal parasitosis, and related causes.
Forms and strengths
- 5 mg tablet.
Dose and duration
- Child under 1 year: 0.5 mg/kg once daily for 4 months.
- Child over 1 year and adult: 5 mg once daily for 4 months.
- In malabsorption states: 15 mg once daily.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not combine with sulfadiazine-pyrimethamine in toxoplasmosis or sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in malaria because folic acid reduces treatment efficacy.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
- Folic acid must not be used for treatment of anaemia due to antifolates such as pyrimethamine, trimethoprim, or methotrexate. Use folinic acid.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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