Continuing your HRT in the Philippines: a guide for expats and balikbayans

An expat on r/Menopause asked for the best hospital and gynaecologist for perimenopause in the Philippines and got zero replies (r/Menopause). Balikbayan Filipinas come home with HRT routines formed abroad, and find the shelves look different. This page is the answer that thread never got.

All of these are prescription-only. Prices are Watsons list prices.

Available

• Estradiol gel 0.06% (Oestrogel): ₱1,185.50 per 80 g pump pack (Watsons)
• Micronized progesterone 200 mg (Utrogestan, made in Thailand): ₱85.75 per capsule (Watsons)
• Micronized progesterone 200 mg (Heragest): ₱76.50 per capsule (Watsons)
• Dydrogesterone 10 mg (Duphaston): ₱92.25 per tablet (Watsons)
• Medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg (Provera): ₱96.50 per tablet (Watsons)
• Conjugated estrogens 0.625 mg: ₱47.25 per tablet (Watsons)
• Tibolone 2.5 mg (Amena): ₱1,442.75 per pack (pack size not stated) (Watsons)
• Estradiol 10 mcg vaginal tablet (Vagifem): ₱154.50 per tablet (Watsons)
• Estriol vaginal cream (Ovestin): ₱1,009 per 15 g tube (Watsons)

Not found at any Philippine retailer (as of our last check)

• Estradiol patches (Estradot, Climara, Evorel): Not available in PH retail as of October 2026
• Oral estradiol at menopause doses (Progynova): Not available in PH retail as of October 2026
• Estradiol plus dydrogesterone combined tablets (Femoston): Not available in PH retail as of October 2026
• Tibolone, Livial brand: Not available in PH retail as of October 2026
• Conjugated estrogens, Premarin brand: Not available in PH retail as of October 2026
• Fezolinetant (Veozah): Not available in PH retail as of October 2026

We also did not find micronized progesterone in a 100 mg strength. "Not found" means not on the retail sites we could check; Mercury Drug and MedsGo block automated checks, and we have not yet checked FDA Philippines registration for every product, so ask your doctor or pharmacist whether a product can be ordered in.

Prices checked October 2026. See the HRT options explorer for what each type is for.

Patches are the biggest gap for expats. You have two practical paths: bring enough supply from home, or ask a Philippine doctor about switching to estradiol gel, which is also transdermal (through the skin), like a patch.

We do not give doses or conversion amounts. Your doctor sets those. Bring this list to the consult:

• "I use an estradiol patch at [strength], changed [how often]. Here is the box or prescription."
• "Gel is the transdermal option available here. Can we discuss switching?"
• "How will we know the new dose is right for me? What symptoms should I watch for?"
• "When should we follow up after switching?"
• "I also take [progestogen] for my uterus. Can I continue that, or does it need to change?"
• "If I travel back and forth, can I use patches abroad and gel here?"

The Menopause Society 2022 notes that transdermal routes and lower doses may carry a lower risk of blood clots and stroke than oral estrogen, which is one reason many women and doctors prefer gel or patches (NAMS 2022).

If you use a combined tablet that is not sold here, ask about using estrogen and a progestogen as separate products.

1. See a Philippine-licensed doctor. OB-GYNs handle menopause care. Many doctors at St. Luke's, Makati Medical Center and The Medical City consult in English. The Medical City has a dedicated menopause service. See find a doctor.
2. Or start with a teleconsult. A specialist teleconsult is about ₱699 per 15 min (Doctor Anywhere, Medifi). Try Doctor Anywhere, NowServing or Hati Health.
3. Bring your records: current prescriptions, the boxes or labels of what you use, recent mammogram and other screening results, and a short note of your history.
4. Fill the prescription. At Watsons online, you check out and then email a copy of your prescription with the order number to the pharmacy before the order ships, as stated on each prescription product page. Or buy in store.

Consult fees range from ₱300 to ₱600 at government hospitals to ₱600 to ₱2,000 at private ones. Prices checked October 2026. See costs.

Under Joint Circular No. 1 series of 2015 from the Department of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and the Bureau of Customs, travellers may bring prescription medicines for personal use without prior FDA clearance, if they carry (Philippine Embassy Berlin):

• The prescription, showing the physician's licence number.
• A doctor's letter stating your condition and the dosage.
• A quantity that matches the prescription.

The embassy lists prescription medicines among regulated products allowed in personal baggage, balikbayan boxes and mailed parcels under these conditions; the quantity should cover your stay. Products beyond the limits without Bureau of Customs or FDA clearance may be seized. Some medicines are controlled drugs under RA 9165 with separate rules. Keeping medicines in their original packaging makes them easier to identify. Rules can change, so check with the nearest Philippine embassy or consulate before you travel.

A printable doctor letter template is coming to our printables page.

Many Filipinas abroad plan screening during home leave because tests can cost less here. The screening planner builds a list you can fit into a short visit: mammogram, transvaginal ultrasound, bone density, blood tests and a consult. A DXA spine and hip scan is ₱2,400 per scan (Exact Check), and a mammogram at PGH is ₱1,500 per exam (PGH).

Prices checked October 2026.