Expat guide
Birth control in the Philippines: a guide for expats
Quick answer
All birth control pills need a prescription in the Philippines, so bring your home prescription or pack and book a local consult (in person or online). Most common pills have a local brand with the same ingredients and dose, often at a much lower price. Dedicated emergency contraceptive pills such as Plan B are not registered here, so plan ahead and know where to get a copper IUD fast.
Getting a prescription
Under the Philippine Pharmacy Act (RA 10918), prescription medicines need a prescription, and every contraceptive pill is classified that way [src]. Some pharmacies used to sell pills freely, but most now ask. Your options:
- Online consult: a licensed doctor by video or chat issues an e-prescription. See online prescription.
- In person: an OB-GYN at a private hospital or women's clinic. Bring your current pack or prescription so the doctor can match it.
- Buying online: Watsons asks you to email your prescription after ordering and to show the original on delivery [src]; TGP asks for an upload at checkout [src]. Only use pharmacies on the FDA's list of drugstores with online ordering [src], never marketplace sellers.
What is available
- Combined pills: levonorgestrel, desogestrel, drospirenone and cyproterone acetate pills, plus Qlaira (estradiol valerate + dienogest).
- Progestin-only pills: Cerazette (desogestrel 75 mcg), and lynestrenol pills (Daphne, Exluton) that you will not find in the US or UK.
- Injectable: Depotrust and Lyndavel (medroxyprogesterone acetate), the same molecule as Depo-Provera. See the injectable.
- Implant: Implanon (etonogestrel), the same type as Nexplanon, and Levoplant (levonorgestrel, 2 rods) from DKT [src]. See the implant.
- IUDs: copper IUDs and Mirena-type hormonal IUDs. See the IUD.
- Condoms and pregnancy tests: no prescription.
What is not available
No emergency contraceptive pills
Dedicated emergency pills (levonorgestrel 1.5 mg such as Plan B and Postinor) have not been registered since 2001 [src], and ulipristal (ellaOne, ella) was not found in Philippine listings. A copper IUD fitted within 5 days is the most effective emergency option [src]. Talk to a doctor today. Read emergency contraception in the Philippines, and note where an OB, Pulse Clinic or Likhaan is before you need one.
- Norethisterone-only pills (Micronor, Noriday): no local equivalent identified.
- Drospirenone-only (Slynd, Slinda) and levonorgestrel-only pills: listed in a 2021 FDA advisory, but retail availability is not confirmed [src].
- Kyleena and the vaginal ring or patch: not confirmed in our checks [TODO: source: availability of contraceptive patch and ring in the PH].
Finding your pill
Equivalence is by active ingredient and dose. Some examples: Microgynon 30 matches Lady (levonorgestrel 150 mcg + ethinylestradiol 30 mcg), which Hello Doctor also notes [src]. Yaz matches Yaz (drospirenone + ethinylestradiol) and Lizelle. Dianette matches Diane-35 (cyproterone acetate + ethinylestradiol), Althea and Cybelle. Inactive ingredients and pack layout (21/7, 24/4, 28 with iron) can differ, so check with the doctor.
The full country-by-country table is on pill equivalents.
Bringing pills from home
Bringing a personal supply in your luggage is common. Keep pills in their original packs with your prescription or a doctor's letter. Customs rules on personal medicines are set out in a joint FDA and Bureau of Customs circular [src] [TODO: source: exact quantity limits for personal medicines at PH customs]. Do not order prescription medicines from overseas sellers online.
Costs
Pill prices are low by international standards: Lady from ₱53.25, Yaz from ₱889, Cerazette from ₱642 a pack [src]. Online OB-GYN consults start from ₱700 on some platforms. See the full price list. If you live here long term, ask your barangay health center whether its free family planning services are open to you.
Three legal routes
Get a local prescription
Pills need a prescription from a doctor licensed in the Philippines. An online consult is often the quickest route for expats. Pick the route that suits you. For adults 18 and over.
Free at a health center
Barangay health centers, RHUs, DOH hospitals and Likhaan. Subject to supply.
See an OB-GYN in person
Clinic visit, prescription in hand. Bring it to any licensed pharmacy.
Online consult
A licensed doctor by video or chat. From ₱700 on some platforms.
Online consult options
For adults 18 and over. Fees are set by each provider and can change.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy Plan B in the Philippines?
No. Dedicated emergency contraceptive pills such as Plan B and Postinor have not been registered in the Philippines since 2001. A copper IUD within 5 days is the most effective emergency option. Talk to a doctor today.
Will a Philippine pharmacy accept my foreign prescription?
Do not count on it. Pharmacies generally want a prescription from a doctor licensed in the Philippines. A short local consult, in person or online, is the reliable route.
Is Microgynon available in the Philippines?
Microgynon 30 has been reported as not available locally. Lady and Charlize have the same active ingredients and dose (levonorgestrel 150 mcg + ethinylestradiol 30 mcg).
Are birth control pills cheaper in the Philippines?
Usually much cheaper than private prices in the US or UK. Lady starts at ₱53.25 a pack and Yaz at ₱889.
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.
Sources
- Explainer: Philippine Pharmacy Act and prescription medicines, Interaksyon (Philstar), 25 Apr 2024
- Trust pill listing: Prescription Required, Watsons PH
- Rx Trust pill listing, TGP
- Drugstores with online ordering and delivery, FDA Philippines verification portal
- Microgynon 30, Hello Doctor
- Medical providers say FDA should reconsider ban on emergency contraceptive pills, Malaya
- Emergency contraception (fact sheet), World Health Organization
- FDA Advisory 2021-0186 (RH Law certification), FDA Philippines
- DKT Philippines, DKT International
- Joint Circular No. 1 s.2015 (personal medicines at customs), FDA / BOC [TODO: source] exact circular URL not in research.
- Oral contraceptives category, Watsons PH