Pain & Inflammation Medicine Prices in the Philippines 2026
Quick Answer: Common pain and anti-inflammatory medicines are inexpensive at retail â generic omeprazole runs as low as âą5.00/capsule at The Generics Pharmacy â and four of the six medicines covered here (ibuprofen, celecoxib, prednisone, omeprazole) are on PhilHealth's GAMOT list, meaning eligible members can get them at no out-of-pocket cost up to âą20,000/year. For colchicine and mefenamic acid, we could not confirm published pricing from any source we checked, and we're saying so directly rather than guessing.
About these figures: GAMOT fixed fees come from PhilHealth Circular 2025-0013 (effective 21 August 2025) â the annex is a scanned document and a few line items could not be read with confidence, so they were left out. Retail prices come from The Generics Pharmacy (TGP), which publishes prices online; Mercury Drug does not publish prices, and Watsons blocked every price-check attempt, so no Watsons figures appear here. GMAP status references the GMAP list as of 9 February 2026. Last checked: August 2026.
Table of Contents
- Why pain medicine pricing is confusing in the Philippines
- Ibuprofen prices
- Celecoxib prices
- Colchicine: no confirmed pricing found
- Prednisone prices
- Mefenamic acid: no confirmed pricing found
- Omeprazole prices: why gastric protection matters
- GAMOT: how most of these can be free
- How to pay less
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why pain medicine pricing is confusing in the Philippines
Pain and anti-inflammatory drugs get priced through several disconnected mechanisms in the Philippines, and none of them automatically apply to every molecule in this category. Some, like ibuprofen and celecoxib, are on PhilHealth's GAMOT list with a published reimbursement rate. Others, like colchicine and mefenamic acid, don't appear in any of the price sources we checked â no GAMOT annex entry, no GMAP listing, no EO 104 ceiling, no retail page. That gap doesn't mean the medicine is unregulated or expensive; it just means no government or retail source we could verify has published a number for it. We'd rather flag that clearly than fill it with a guess, since the whole point of a price guide is that the figures in it are real.
Ibuprofen prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 200 mg tab | âą5.00 |
Ibuprofen is confirmed on the GAMOT list, but does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list. We did not find a published retail price for it from the pharmacy pages we checked.
Celecoxib prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 200 mg | âą21.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 100 mg | âą31.00 |
Interestingly, the higher 200mg dose carries a lower GAMOT fixed fee than the 100mg dose in the published schedule â that's the figure as it appears in the source annex, not a typo we've corrected. Celecoxib does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list.
Colchicine: no confirmed pricing found
The only fact we could confirm about colchicine is that it is not part of the GMAP voluntary-reduction list. We found no GAMOT fixed fee, no EO 104 figure, and no published retail price for it from any source we checked. We're not publishing a guessed number for colchicine â ask your pharmacy for a current quote.
Prednisone prices
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GAMOT fixed fee | 5 mg tab | âą1.75 |
Prednisone is one of the cheapest medicines on PhilHealth's entire GAMOT fixed-fee schedule. It does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list, and we found no published retail price for it.
Mefenamic acid: no confirmed pricing found
Despite being a widely used pain reliever in the Philippines, mefenamic acid does not appear anywhere in the sources we checked â not in the GAMOT fixed-fee table, not in its exclusion list, not in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list (either as included or excluded), and not in the retail pages we pulled. We have zero confirmed data on it and are not publishing an invented figure. Ask your pharmacy directly.
Omeprazole prices: why gastric protection matters
Omeprazole is often prescribed alongside NSAIDs like ibuprofen and celecoxib to protect the stomach lining from irritation â a common pairing for anyone on longer-term pain or inflammation treatment.
| Source | Preparation | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TGP retail | 20 mg cap | âą5.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 20 mg cap | âą19.00 |
| GAMOT fixed fee | 40 mg cap | âą27.50 |
Omeprazole does not appear in the GMAP voluntary-reduction list. Note the retail generic price (âą5.00) is actually lower than the GAMOT fixed fee (âą19.00) for the same 20mg strength â a reminder that the GAMOT fixed fee is a PhilHealth reimbursement rate to the facility, not a retail price, and the two numbers aren't meant to match.
GAMOT: how most of these can be free
Ibuprofen, celecoxib, prednisone, and omeprazole 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 âą20,000 worth of GAMOT medicine in a year â PhilHealth Circular 2025-0013 states beneficiaries "shall not incur out-of-pocket payment until the ABL is fully consumed." Colchicine and mefenamic acid are not confirmed either way from the published annex. For the full explanation of the âą20,000 annual limit and the complete 75-molecule list, see our PhilHealth GAMOT guide.
How to pay less
- Ask if your pain medicine is on the GAMOT list â four of the six covered here are confirmed, which could mean âą0 at the counter.
- Choose generic omeprazole if you need gastric protection alongside an NSAID; TGP's generic retail price (âą5.00) is well below what you'd pay for a branded equivalent.
- Confirm your PhilHealth standing before relying on GAMOT â see our PhilHealth contribution table.
- Compare which pharmacies actually publish prices â see our Mercury Drug and clinic price list guide.
- For blood pressure or diabetes medicine that's sometimes prescribed alongside long-term pain management, see our maintenance medicine prices guide or diabetes medicine prices guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does ibuprofen cost in the Philippines?
The confirmed GAMOT fixed fee for 200mg ibuprofen is âą5.00. We did not find a published retail price to compare it against.
Is celecoxib covered under PhilHealth GAMOT?
Yes. Celecoxib 100mg and 200mg both have confirmed GAMOT fixed fees (âą31.00 and âą21.00 respectively).
Why is there no price for colchicine or mefenamic acid?
We could not find a GAMOT fixed fee, GMAP price, EO 104 figure, or published retail price for either medicine in any source we checked. Rather than estimate, we're reporting the gap directly â ask your pharmacy for current pricing.
Why do I need omeprazole with ibuprofen or celecoxib?
Omeprazole reduces stomach acid and is commonly prescribed alongside NSAIDs like ibuprofen and celecoxib to protect against gastric irritation during longer courses of treatment. This is standard practice, not something specific to pricing.
Is prednisone expensive in the Philippines?
No â it's one of the cheapest medicines on the entire GAMOT fixed-fee schedule at âą1.75 for a 5mg tablet.
Does PhilHealth cover pain medicine for free?
For four of the medicines in this guide â ibuprofen, celecoxib, prednisone, and omeprazole â yes, if you're GAMOT-eligible and under the âą20,000 annual limit. Colchicine and mefenamic acid are not confirmed on the list.
Why is the GAMOT fixed fee for omeprazole higher than the retail price?
The GAMOT fixed fee is what PhilHealth reimburses the dispensing facility per unit â it's an accounting rate, not a retail shelf price. It's normal for the two numbers to differ.
Are any pain medicines covered by the EO 104 legal price cap?
Not among the sources we verified. The molecules confirmed with a binding EO 104 MRP ceiling are priority drugs like sitagliptin and several insulin types â none of the six pain and inflammation medicines in this guide appear in that capped list. Their price protection, where it exists, comes through GAMOT instead.
Conclusion
Four of the six pain and inflammation medicines covered here â ibuprofen, celecoxib, prednisone, and omeprazole â carry a confirmed PhilHealth GAMOT benefit that can bring the out-of-pocket cost to zero. For colchicine and mefenamic acid, we found no reliable published pricing anywhere, and we'd rather tell you that plainly than invent a number. For the complete GAMOT explanation and the full 75-molecule list, read our PhilHealth free medicines guide.