How Much Olaparib Should You Take?
Olaparib is a prescription anticancer medicine, and the correct dose depends on the cancer being treated, the treatment setting, kidney function, other medicines, previous side effects, and the patient’s overall medical condition.
The 150 mg strength refers to the amount of olaparib contained in one tablet. It does not necessarily represent the total amount that a patient should take in one day.
For several approved adult tablet treatment settings, the recommended olaparib dose is 300 mg twice daily. When using 150 mg tablets, this corresponds to two 150 mg tablets per dose, taken twice each day.
Therefore, a patient prescribed 300 mg twice daily would take:
- Morning: 300 mg
- Evening: 300 mg
- Total daily dose: 600 mg
However, this is not an instruction for every patient. The prescribing doctor determines the appropriate regimen.
The two 150 mg olaparib products featured on this website are:
- Olanib 150 mg — Everest Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
- Olakin 150 mg — Ziska Pharmaceuticals Limited
Both contain olaparib 150 mg.
Take Olaparib Exactly as Prescribed
Patients should take olaparib exactly according to the instructions provided by their oncologist or pharmacist.
Do not:
- Increase the dose because you think the medicine is not working
- Reduce the dose without medical advice
- Take doses more frequently than prescribed
- Stop treatment suddenly without consulting the oncology team
- Take additional tablets to compensate for a missed dose
- Share olaparib with another person
Cancer treatment is individualized. A dose that is appropriate for one patient may not be appropriate for another.
How Often Is Olaparib Taken?
When the twice-daily tablet regimen is prescribed, olaparib is taken two times each day, usually approximately 12 hours apart.
For example, a patient may be instructed to take the medicine around:
8:00 AM and 8:00 PM
The exact times can be adjusted to fit the patient’s routine as long as the prescribed schedule is followed.
Taking the medicine at approximately the same times every day can make it easier to maintain a consistent treatment routine.
Patients should follow the specific schedule supplied by their healthcare professional.
Should Olaparib Be Taken Before or After Food?
Olaparib tablets may generally be taken with or without food.
This means patients do not normally need to take their tablet specifically before a meal or specifically after a meal.
A patient may therefore take olaparib:
- Before eating
- With a meal
- After eating
The most important consideration is to follow the prescribed schedule consistently.
If taking olaparib with food helps reduce stomach discomfort or makes the treatment easier to remember, patients can discuss their routine with their healthcare professional.
How Should Olaparib Tablets Be Taken?
Olaparib tablets should be taken orally with water.
Swallow the tablets whole.
Patients should not crush, chew, dissolve, or break the tablets unless a healthcare professional specifically instructs them to do so.
If swallowing the tablets becomes difficult, contact the prescribing doctor or pharmacist for advice rather than changing the tablet yourself.
Do Not Substitute Tablet Strengths Without Instructions
Olaparib is available in more than one tablet strength.
A patient prescribed a particular total dose may receive a combination of tablet strengths depending on the prescribed regimen and available product.
For example, the 150 mg tablet can be used to provide a 300 mg dose when two 150 mg tablets are taken together.
Patients should not assume that one 150 mg tablet is equivalent to their entire prescribed dose.
Always check:
- The prescribed total dose
- The strength printed on the package
- The number of tablets prescribed per dose
- How many times per day the medicine should be taken
If the instructions appear different from what the patient was previously taking, the patient should confirm the prescription with the pharmacist or treating doctor.
Olaparib Dose Reduction
Some patients may need a lower olaparib dose because of adverse reactions or other clinical circumstances.
Dose reduction should be performed only under medical supervision.
For example, the prescribing information provides lower dosing options when certain adverse reactions occur or when specific drug interactions affect olaparib exposure.
A lower dose does not necessarily mean that treatment has failed. Dose adjustment is often used to improve tolerability while allowing treatment to continue when clinically appropriate.
Dosage in Moderate Kidney Impairment
Kidney function is important when determining the appropriate olaparib dose.
For patients with moderate renal impairment, defined in the U.S. prescribing information as a creatinine clearance of 31–50 mL/min, the recommended dose for applicable tablet indications is 200 mg twice daily.
When 200 mg twice daily is required, an appropriate combination of available tablet strengths may be used according to the prescribing information.
Patients with kidney disease should not attempt to calculate their own dose.
The treating healthcare professional may evaluate kidney function using blood tests and other clinical information before determining the appropriate dose.
Severe Kidney Impairment
Olaparib dosing in severe renal impairment requires particular medical consideration.
Patients with significantly reduced kidney function should tell their doctor before starting treatment.
The appropriate approach may depend on the severity of renal impairment, the indication being treated, applicable prescribing information, and the availability of suitable clinical data.
Patients should not use an ordinary dosing schedule for themselves if they have severe kidney disease.
Liver Function
The patient’s liver health may also be considered when olaparib treatment is prescribed.
Patients should tell their healthcare professional if they have liver disease or abnormal liver-function tests.
The prescribing information should be consulted for the appropriate approach in patients with hepatic impairment.
What If You Miss an Olaparib Dose?
If you forget to take an olaparib dose, do not take an extra dose to make up for the missed tablet(s).
Instead, follow the instructions provided by your healthcare professional or product information and take the next scheduled dose at the appropriate time.
Do not take two doses together unless a qualified healthcare professional specifically tells you to do so.
If missed doses happen frequently, discuss the problem with your oncology team. They may be able to suggest practical ways to make the dosing routine easier.
What If You Vomit After Taking Olaparib?
If vomiting occurs after taking olaparib, patients should not automatically take another dose.
Taking an additional dose without professional guidance could result in taking more medicine than prescribed.
Contact the prescribing healthcare professional or pharmacist for advice about what to do after vomiting.
What If You Accidentally Take Too Much Olaparib?
Taking more olaparib than prescribed can increase the risk of adverse effects.
If you accidentally take extra tablets, contact your doctor, pharmacist, or appropriate emergency medical service for advice.
Do not wait for serious symptoms to appear before seeking help.
Keep the medicine packaging available so healthcare professionals can identify:
- The medicine
- Strength
- Amount taken
- Product name
- Batch information
Olaparib and Other Medicines
Olaparib can interact with other medicines.
Of particular importance are medicines that affect the CYP3A enzyme system, because CYP3A plays an important role in the metabolism of olaparib.
Strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors can increase olaparib exposure, while strong or moderate CYP3A inducers can reduce olaparib exposure.
Examples of medicines or substances that may be clinically relevant include certain antifungal medicines, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and other drugs that affect CYP3A activity.
Patients should provide their healthcare team with a complete list of:
- Prescription medicines
- Non-prescription medicines
- Vitamins
- Herbal products
- Dietary supplements
- Other cancer treatments
Do not start a new medicine, supplement, or herbal product without checking whether it can interact with olaparib.
Avoid Grapefruit and Seville Oranges Unless Your Doctor Says Otherwise
Because grapefruit and Seville oranges can affect CYP3A activity, patients taking olaparib should discuss these foods with their healthcare professional.
The prescribing information recommends avoiding grapefruit, grapefruit juice, Seville oranges, and Seville orange juice because they may increase olaparib exposure.
Patients should ask their doctor or pharmacist if they are uncertain about a particular food or beverage.
Maintaining a Consistent Treatment Routine
Olaparib is usually taken for an extended period in the treatment settings where it is prescribed.
A consistent routine can help patients remember each dose.
Useful approaches may include:
- Taking the medicine at the same times every day
- Using a medication reminder
- Keeping the medicine in an appropriate, designated location
- Recording doses when necessary
- Checking the remaining tablets before running out
- Planning prescription refills in advance
However, patients should follow safe storage instructions and keep the medicine away from children and anyone for whom it was not prescribed.
Do Not Stop Olaparib Because You Feel Well
Some patients receiving olaparib are being treated with maintenance therapy and may feel well even though they continue to have an underlying cancer diagnosis.
Feeling well does not necessarily mean that the disease has disappeared.
Likewise, the absence of symptoms does not mean that olaparib is no longer needed.
Treatment should continue for the duration recommended by the oncology team unless the doctor decides that treatment should be changed, interrupted, or discontinued.
Monitoring During Olaparib Treatment
Patients taking olaparib may require regular medical monitoring.
Blood tests are particularly important because olaparib can cause decreases in blood-cell counts.
Healthcare professionals may monitor:
- Hemoglobin
- White blood cells
- Neutrophils
- Platelets
- Kidney function
- Other laboratory parameters when clinically appropriate
Monitoring may be performed before treatment and periodically during treatment.
If significant abnormalities occur, the doctor may temporarily interrupt treatment, reduce the dose, investigate another cause, or take other appropriate measures.
When to Contact Your Doctor
Patients should contact their healthcare team if they develop unusual or persistent symptoms.
Important symptoms to report can include:
- Fever
- Signs of infection
- Unusual bruising
- Unexplained bleeding
- Severe or persistent fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- New or worsening cough
- Chest symptoms
- Persistent weakness
- Severe or ongoing gastrointestinal symptoms
These symptoms do not necessarily mean that a serious complication has occurred, but they should be assessed when appropriate.
Pregnancy and Olaparib
Olaparib can cause fetal harm.
Patients who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or capable of becoming pregnant should discuss pregnancy precautions with their healthcare professional before starting treatment.
The appropriate contraception recommendations depend on the patient’s circumstances and should follow the current prescribing information and medical advice.
Patients should tell their doctor promptly if pregnancy occurs during treatment.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during olaparib treatment and for the period specified in the applicable prescribing information after treatment ends.
Patients who are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed should discuss this with their healthcare professional before starting olaparib.
Practical Olaparib 150 mg Dosing Example
The following example explains how tablet strength and prescribed dose can differ.
If a physician prescribes:
Olaparib 300 mg twice daily
and the patient has 150 mg tablets:
2 × 150 mg tablets = 300 mg per dose
Taken twice daily:
300 mg + 300 mg = 600 mg total per day
This is an example of how the tablet strength relates to the prescribed dose. It is not a recommendation for a particular patient.
If a physician prescribes a reduced dose, the number of tablets may be different.
Olaparib Dosage Summary
| Topic | General Information |
|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Olaparib |
| Featured tablet strength | 150 mg |
| Route | Oral |
| Common adult tablet regimen in applicable indications | 300 mg twice daily |
| Food | May generally be taken with or without food |
| Typical interval for twice-daily dosing | Approximately 12 hours |
| Tablet administration | Swallow whole with water. |
| Missed dose | Do not take an extra dose to compensate. |
| Moderate renal impairment | Dose reduction may be required. |
| Drug interactions | CYP3A inhibitors and inducers can affect olaparib exposure. |
| Grapefruit/Seville orange | Avoid unless a healthcare professional advises otherwise. |
| Dose changes | Only under medical supervision |
Important Reminder About Dosage
The information on this page is intended to explain how olaparib dosing works and how the 150 mg tablet strength may be used.
It should not be used to determine an individual’s cancer-treatment regimen.
The appropriate olaparib dose depends on the patient’s diagnosis, treatment indication, kidney function, other medicines, tolerance, and applicable prescribing information.
Never change the number of Olanib 150 mg or Olakin 150 mg tablets you take without first speaking with your oncologist, doctor, or pharmacist.
Correct dosing is an important part of safe and effective cancer treatment.