Ibuprofen Price Philippines 2026: ₱4 to ₱34 Per Tablet, By Brand
Quick Answer: Generic ibuprofen costs as little as ₱4.00 per tablet (TGP's own IBUPRO 400mg brand) up to ₱33.50 per tablet for a branded 400mg option (Faspic, prescription-only) at Rose Pharmacy. The most common 200mg over-the-counter tablets fall between ₱7.75 and ₱16.75 per tablet, depending on brand. Ibuprofen is one of 75 medicines on PhilHealth's free GAMOT list, so PhilHealth members can get it at zero out-of-pocket cost at accredited facilities, within the ₱20,000-per-year medicines limit.
About these figures: The prices below come from Rose Pharmacy's and The Generics Pharmacy's (TGP) own product pages — rosepharmacy.com and tgp.com.ph — as displayed when checked in September 2026. Mercury Drug does not publish prices online (its "Price Inquiry" page is a contact form, not a price list), Watsons blocks automated price checks, and Generika publishes no online price list, so this comparison is limited to the two chains that do publish real prices. Prices may change without notice — confirm before your visit. Last checked: September 2026.
Table of Contents
- How much does ibuprofen cost per tablet?
- Generic vs. branded ibuprofen: the real spread
- What does a typical short course cost?
- Do you need a prescription for ibuprofen?
- Is there a government price cap on ibuprofen?
- Is ibuprofen covered by PhilHealth?
- How to pay less for ibuprofen
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
How much does ibuprofen cost per tablet?
Ibuprofen in the Philippines runs from about ₱4.00 to ₱33.50 per tablet, and strength and brand explain almost all of that spread, not pharmacy markup. A plain, unbranded 400mg tablet at TGP is priced at ₱4.00 (₱40 for a 10-piece pack). A 200mg over-the-counter tablet under a recognizable brand like Medicol Advance or Midol runs ₱7.75 to ₱16.75. A 400mg prescription-only branded tablet (Faspic) runs ₱33.50.
Combination products — ibuprofen paired with paracetamol, sold as Enerlax or Curelax at TGP — land in the same ₱4.00-per-capsule range as the plain generic, since the combination is TGP's own house formulation rather than an imported brand.
Generic vs. branded ibuprofen: the real spread
| Brand | Strength | Official Price per Tablet (Sep 2026) | Pharmacy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBUPRO (TGP house brand) | 400mg | ₱4.00 | TGP | Plain generic, no brand markup |
| Enerlax / Curelax (paracetamol + ibuprofen) | 325mg/200mg | ₱4.00 | TGP | Combination capsule |
| Medicol Advance | 200mg | ₱7.75 | Rose Pharmacy | Common OTC brand |
| Midol | 200mg | ₱16.75 | Rose Pharmacy | Marketed for menstrual pain |
| Faspic | 400mg | ₱33.50 | Rose Pharmacy | Requires prescription |
The pattern here is the same one that shows up across most Philippine generic medicines: the brand name, not the strength, drives most of the price. A 400mg TGP generic (₱4.00) and a 400mg branded Faspic tablet (₱33.50) contain the identical active ingredient at the identical dose — the eightfold price gap is the brand premium, not a difference in what's in the tablet. Advil, the internationally recognized ibuprofen brand, is priced separately from all of these — see our Advil price guide for that breakdown.
What does a typical short course cost?
Ibuprofen is usually taken short-term, for a few days at a time, rather than as a daily maintenance drug — so a "course" cost is more useful here than a monthly one. As an illustrative example only (always follow your doctor's or pharmacist's actual dosing instructions), nine tablets over a few days — a common short-course pattern for adult pain relief — would cost:
- ₱36.00 at the cheapest generic price (TGP IBUPRO 400mg, ₱4.00 × 9)
- ₱150.75 at the priciest branded option in this comparison (Faspic 400mg, ₱33.50 × 9)
That's a real ₱114.75 difference for the same nine tablets, just from brand choice.
Do you need a prescription for ibuprofen?
It depends on the strength and formulation. The 200mg tablets sold as Medicol Advance and Midol are shelved as over-the-counter products with no prescription requirement at Rose Pharmacy. The 400mg Faspic tablet, by contrast, carries an explicit prescription requirement on Rose Pharmacy's own product listing — the pharmacy states it needs a copy of a valid prescription attached at checkout before the order is processed. If you're buying ibuprofen online rather than walking into a branch, expect higher-strength or larger-pack formulations to ask for a prescription upload regardless of brand.
Is there a government price cap on ibuprofen?
No. Ibuprofen does not appear anywhere in the Department of Health's current Maximum Retail Price / Maximum Wholesale Price list (MRP-MWP List, updated 22 June 2026, dpri.doh.gov.ph) — the binding retail ceiling created under Executive Order 104 (17 Feb 2020) and Executive Order 155 (7 Dec 2021). That list covers roughly 130 specific drug formulations, mostly for hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and a handful of other chronic and high-cost conditions. Ibuprofen was never one of them, and no Executive Order after EO 155 exists to add it. The prices above are simply what each pharmacy has chosen to charge — there is no legal ceiling forcing them lower.
Is ibuprofen covered by PhilHealth?
Yes, partially. Ibuprofen is one of the 75 molecules on PhilHealth's GAMOT list (Guaranteed Access to Medicines for Outpatients Treatment), created under PhilHealth Circular PC2025-0013 (28 July 2025, effective 21 August 2025). Active PhilHealth members and their qualified dependents can get GAMOT-listed medicines, ibuprofen included, at accredited facilities with no out-of-pocket cost, up to a shared ₱20,000-per-beneficiary annual benefit limit (ABL) that resets every year. That ₱20,000 limit is for GAMOT medicines only — it does not extend to consultations, lab tests, or other services. See our full PhilHealth GAMOT guide for how to check whether your facility is accredited for the program.
How to pay less for ibuprofen
- Buy the plain generic, not the branded version. TGP's own IBUPRO brand and Rose Pharmacy's Medicol Advance are both ibuprofen at a fraction of what Faspic or an international brand costs for the same active ingredient.
- Ask if your facility is GAMOT-accredited. If it is, and you're an active PhilHealth member, ibuprofen can cost you nothing at the point of sale, within the shared ₱20,000 annual limit.
- Skip the combination product if you don't need it. Enerlax and Curelax (ibuprofen + paracetamol) cost the same per capsule as plain ibuprofen at TGP, but only make sense if you actually need both active ingredients — ask your pharmacist.
- Compare Rose Pharmacy and TGP before you buy. The two chains publish real prices online, so you can price-check before ordering rather than guessing at the counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ibuprofen cost per tablet in the Philippines?
Generic ibuprofen runs from about ₱4.00 per tablet (TGP's own brand, 400mg) to ₱33.50 per tablet for a branded, prescription-only 400mg option (Faspic) at Rose Pharmacy. Common 200mg OTC brands fall in between, around ₱7.75 to ₱16.75 per tablet.
Is ibuprofen 400mg just double the price of ibuprofen 200mg?
No — brand matters more than strength. TGP's plain 400mg generic costs ₱4.00 per tablet, cheaper per-tablet than several branded 200mg products. Strength alone doesn't predict price; the brand name does.
Do I need a prescription to buy ibuprofen in the Philippines?
Only for some formulations. The 200mg OTC brands (Medicol Advance, Midol) don't require one at Rose Pharmacy. The 400mg Faspic brand does — the pharmacy requires a valid prescription uploaded at checkout.
Is there a government price cap on ibuprofen?
No. Ibuprofen is not on the Department of Health's Maximum Retail Price / Maximum Wholesale Price list under EO 104 and EO 155. Pharmacies set their own ibuprofen prices, which is why the spread between brands is so wide.
Is ibuprofen covered by PhilHealth?
Yes. It's one of 75 medicines on PhilHealth's GAMOT list under PC2025-0013, available at zero out-of-pocket cost at accredited facilities for active members, within a shared ₱20,000-per-year benefit limit for medicines.
What's the difference between generic and branded ibuprofen?
Chemically, nothing — both contain the same active ingredient at the labeled dose and must meet the same FDA quality standards to be sold in the Philippines. The price difference is almost entirely the brand's marketing and packaging cost, not a difference in effectiveness.
Can I take ibuprofen and paracetamol together?
Combination products like Enerlax and Curelax already pair the two in one capsule at TGP for the same price as plain ibuprofen. Whether combining them makes sense for your situation is a question for your doctor or pharmacist, not something this guide can answer for you.
Where can I buy cheap ibuprofen online in the Philippines?
Rose Pharmacy and The Generics Pharmacy (TGP) are the two chains that publish real, checkable prices online. Comparing both before ordering — and choosing the plain generic over a branded option — is the most reliable way to find the lowest price.
Conclusion
Ibuprofen's price in the Philippines has less to do with the medicine itself than with which name is printed on the box — a plain 400mg generic at TGP runs ₱4.00 a tablet, while a branded 400mg tablet at Rose Pharmacy runs ₱33.50, with no government price cap sitting between them. If you're a PhilHealth member, check whether your facility is GAMOT-accredited before paying out of pocket at all. For the internationally branded version, see our Advil price guide; for a broader look at pain and inflammation medicine costs, see our pain and inflammation medicine price guide. Need a clinic or pharmacy near you? Search ClinicFinderPH to find one with directions and contact details.