Antibiotic Prices in the Philippines 2026: Azithromycin, Amoxicillin & More
Quick Answer: Antibiotic prices in the Philippines swing enormously between generic and branded versions of the exact same molecule. The clearest example: azithromycin 500mg runs ₱64.00 as a house-brand generic at The Generics Pharmacy, but ₱159.00 as Zithromax at Rose Pharmacy — a 2.5× spread for the same active ingredient. Several antibiotics on this page — amoxicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole — are also on PhilHealth's GAMOT list, meaning eligible members can get them at no out-of-pocket cost up to ₱20,000/year.
About these figures: Retail prices come from Rose Pharmacy and The Generics Pharmacy (TGP), which publish prices online; Mercury Drug does not publish prices, and Watsons blocked every price-check attempt, so no Watsons figures appear here. GAMOT fixed fees come from PhilHealth Circular 2025-0013 (effective 21 August 2025) — the annex is a scanned document and a few line items could not be read with confidence, so they were left out. Voluntary manufacturer price cuts come from the GMAP list as of 9 February 2026, and legal price-ceiling context references EO 104 (2020) and EO 155 (2021). Last checked: August 2026.
Table of Contents
- Why antibiotic prices vary so much
- Azithromycin prices: the 2.5× generic-vs-branded gap
- Co-amoxiclav prices
- Amoxicillin prices
- Ciprofloxacin prices
- Doxycycline: no confirmed pricing found
- Metronidazole prices
- Fluconazole prices
- GAMOT: how some of these can be free
- How to pay less
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why antibiotic prices vary so much
Antibiotics in the Philippines don't run through a single pricing system, and that's why the same molecule can show up at several different prices depending on where you look. A GAMOT fixed fee reflects what PhilHealth reimburses a facility, not what a pharmacy charges you. A GMAP price is a voluntary reduction a specific manufacturer opted into for a specific branded product — it says nothing about competing brands or generics of the same molecule. And a retail price at Rose Pharmacy or TGP reflects whatever that chain is actually charging that week, generic or branded. None of these three numbers are supposed to match each other, and treating any single one as "the" price for a molecule is how most of the confusion around antibiotic costs starts.
Azithromycin prices: the 2.5× generic-vs-branded gap
Azithromycin shows the widest confirmed spread of any antibiotic we checked.
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 250 mg cap | ₱35.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 200 mg/5 mL susp, 60 mL | ₱262.50 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 200 mg/5 mL susp, 15 mL | ₱270.00 |
| TGP retail, house generic | 500 mg tab | ₱64.00 |
| Rose Pharmacy retail, Pneumozith (generic) | 500 mg tab | ₱80.00 |
| TGP retail, AZYTH (branded) | 500 mg tab | ₱131.00 |
| Rose Pharmacy retail, RiteMed | 500 mg tab | ₱111.25 |
| Rose Pharmacy retail, Zithromax (branded original) | 500 mg tab | ₱159.00 |
The house-generic-to-branded-original spread here — ₱64.00 to ₱159.00 for the same 500mg dose — is a 2.5× difference, and it's the single most useful number in this guide. Azithromycin does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list.
Co-amoxiclav prices
Co-amoxiclav (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid) pricing comes entirely from the GMAP voluntary-reduction list, all under the Augmentin (GSK) brand.
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GMAP, Augmentin (GSK) | 375 mg tab | ₱45.08 |
| GMAP, Augmentin (GSK) | 625 mg tab | ₱48.90 |
| GMAP, Augmentin (GSK) | 1 g tab | ₱71.15 |
| GMAP, Augmentin (GSK) | 600 mg vial, injection | ₱343.75 |
| GMAP, Augmentin (GSK) | 1.2 g vial, injection | ₱578.40 |
Co-amoxiclav doesn't appear in the GAMOT clean fixed-fee table, so we can't confirm whether it carries a GAMOT benefit — check with your accredited facility directly.
Amoxicillin prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 250 mg cap | ₱4.00 |
| TGP retail, RiteMed | 500 mg cap | ₱14.00 |
Standalone amoxicillin does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list.
Ciprofloxacin prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 500 mg tab | ₱25.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 250 mg tab | ₱32.00 |
| GMAP, Ciprobay (Bayer) | 250 mg tab | ₱37.38 |
| GMAP, Ciprobay (Bayer) | 500 mg tab | ₱48.19 |
| GMAP, Ciloxan (Alcon) | 0.3% eye drops, 5 mL | ₱296.64 |
Ciprofloxacin is one of the few antibiotics here confirmed under all three mechanisms — GAMOT fixed fee, GMAP voluntary price, and a separate eye-drop formulation under GMAP as well.
Doxycycline: no confirmed pricing found
Doxycycline is a commonly prescribed antibiotic, but the only fact we could confirm about it is that it is not part of the GMAP voluntary-reduction list. We found no GAMOT fixed fee, no EO 104 MRP figure, and no retail price from Rose Pharmacy or TGP for it. We're not publishing a guessed number — ask your pharmacy for a current quote.
Metronidazole prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 250 mg tab | ₱11.00 |
| GMAP, Winthrop | 500 mg tab | ₱11.75 |
Metronidazole's GAMOT fee and its GMAP branded price are close, though they're for two different strengths.
Fluconazole prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 50 mg | ₱186.75 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 150 mg | ₱375.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 200 mg | ₱693.00 |
Fluconazole does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list. Its GAMOT fixed fees are notably higher than the other GAMOT-listed antibiotics on this page, reflecting its antifungal-specific pricing structure.
GAMOT: how some of these can be free
Amoxicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, and fluconazole are all confirmed on PhilHealth's 75-molecule GAMOT list. Eligible members can access them at zero out-of-pocket cost until they've used ₱20,000 worth of GAMOT medicine in a year. Co-amoxiclav and doxycycline are not confirmed either way from the published GAMOT annex. For the full explanation of how the ₱20,000 annual limit works, see our PhilHealth GAMOT guide.
How to pay less
- Default to generic. The azithromycin comparison above — ₱64 generic vs. ₱159 branded for the same molecule and dose — is the clearest illustration of why this matters.
- Ask if your prescribed antibiotic is on the GAMOT list before paying full retail; five of the seven antibiotics covered here are confirmed.
- Confirm your PhilHealth standing — see our PhilHealth contribution table.
- Compare which pharmacies actually publish prices before you commit — see our Mercury Drug and clinic price list guide, since Mercury Drug itself does not publish antibiotic prices online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is azithromycin 500mg in the Philippines?
It ranges from ₱64.00 (house generic at TGP) to ₱159.00 (Zithromax, the branded original, at Rose Pharmacy) — a 2.5× spread for the identical active ingredient and dose.
Is co-amoxiclav on the PhilHealth GAMOT list?
Unconfirmed. Co-amoxiclav isn't in the clean GAMOT fixed-fee table we're publishing, so we can't say either way — ask your accredited facility.
How much does amoxicillin cost per capsule?
The GAMOT fixed fee for 250mg is ₱4.00. At retail, TGP's RiteMed 500mg capsule runs ₱14.00.
Is ciprofloxacin covered by both GAMOT and GMAP?
Yes, it's the antibiotic in this guide confirmed under both mechanisms — GAMOT fixed fees for 250mg and 500mg tablets, plus separate GMAP prices for the branded Ciprobay tablets and Ciloxan eye drops.
Why is there no price listed for doxycycline?
We could not confirm a GAMOT fee, GMAP price, EO 104 figure, or published retail price for doxycycline from any source we checked. The only confirmed fact is that it's excluded from the GMAP voluntary-reduction list.
Does PhilHealth cover metronidazole for free?
Yes, if you're GAMOT-eligible. Metronidazole 250mg has a confirmed GAMOT fixed fee of ₱11.00.
Why is fluconazole so much more expensive than other GAMOT antibiotics?
Its GAMOT fixed fees (₱186.75–₱693.00 depending on strength) are considerably higher than other GAMOT-listed antibiotics on this page — that's the confirmed figure from the published fee schedule, reflecting antifungal-specific pricing.
Conclusion
Azithromycin's 2.5× generic-to-branded gap is the clearest reason to always ask your pharmacist for the generic option first. Beyond that, five of the seven antibiotics covered here — amoxicillin, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, metronidazole, fluconazole — carry a confirmed PhilHealth GAMOT benefit that can bring your out-of-pocket cost to zero. For doxycycline and co-amoxiclav, confirmed pricing is thinner; check directly with your pharmacy. For the complete GAMOT explanation, read our PhilHealth free medicines guide.