Combined pill
Qlaira pills: price, side effects and how to take them
Qlaira (estradiol valerate + dienogest)
Quick answer
Qlaira (estradiol valerate + dienogest) is a combined pill that uses estradiol valerate instead of ethinylestradiol, with hormone doses that change through the pack: 26 hormone tablets and 2 inactive ones.
It costs from ₱1,437.50, the most expensive pill on our list, and needs a reseta (Prescription. All birth control pills need one in the Philippines.). Its missed-pill rules are its own; follow the leaflet.
Key facts
- Generic name
- estradiol valerate + dienogest
- Type
- Combined pill (estrogen + progestin)
- Pack
- 28 tablets: 26 hormone, 2 inactive
- Prescription
- Required in the Philippines
- Price this month
- From ₱1,437.50 a pack
- Same formula
- None in the PH
Most combined pills, from Trust (levonorgestrel + ethinylestradiol) to Yaz (drospirenone + ethinylestradiol), use ethinylestradiol. Qlaira uses estradiol valerate, which the body turns into estradiol, together with the progestin dienogest. The doses step up and down across the pack instead of staying the same every day. Watsons listed it at ₱1,437.50.[src] There is no same-formula twin in the Philippines; expats on Qlaira or Natazia at home will find it the match (see pill equivalents).
Qlaira price in the Philippines
Prices checked October 2026. Every pharmacy below requires a prescription.
| Retailer | Pack | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| WatsonsPrescription required | 28 tablets | ₱1,437.50 | October 2026 |
| Mercury Drug | No public online price | [TODO: verify] | |
| Southstar Drug | No public online price | [TODO: verify] |
How to take Qlaira
Take one tablet every day, strictly in the order shown on the pack, because each position has a different dose. The pack has 26 hormone tablets and 2 inactive tablets, and you start the next pack the day after the last one, with no gap.
When to start: for standard combined pills, WHO says you can start within the first 5 days of your period with no extra protection, or any other day if you are reasonably sure you are not pregnant, using condoms for the first 7 days.[src] Qlaira's changing doses mean its leaflet may give a different start day and backup advice. Follow the leaflet and your doctor.
Uses estradiol valerate instead of ethinylestradiol, with changing doses through the pack. Its missed-pill rules are its own; follow the leaflet.
If you miss a Qlaira pill
Qlaira changes hormone levels through the pack and has its own missed-pill rules. Check the leaflet and ask a pharmacist; use condoms until you have checked.
If you had sex in the last 5 days and missed pills, talk to a doctor today about emergency options. If unsure, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
Open the Missed Pill HelperQlaira side effects and what Filipinas worry about
The usual early combined-pill effects can happen: spotting, sore breasts, nausea, headaches, mood changes, mostly settling within 3 months.[src] Light or missed bleeds are common on the pill. Qlaira is still a combined pill with estrogen, so the same safety rules apply: not for smokers 35 and over, people with migraine with aura, a past clot or high blood pressure.[src]
Nakakataba ba ang Qlaira?
A Cochrane review of placebo-controlled trials found no large weight effect from combined pills,[src] and the NHS says there is no evidence the pill causes weight gain.[src]
May kamahalan ang pills.Pills are too expensive.
Prices range widely, and several cheaper brands have the exact same formula as the expensive ones. Pills, injectables, implants and IUDs are also free at public health facilities, subject to supply.
Read moreDelay ng mens habang nag-pi-pills?No period during the placebo week?
Light or missed withdrawal bleeds are common on the pill, especially low-dose pills like Yaz. If you took your pills correctly, pregnancy is unlikely, and a pregnancy test settles it. Start your next pack on schedule.
Read moreDelikado ba ang pills?Are pills dangerous? What about blood clots?
The risk of a blood clot on the combined pill is real but small. Combined pills are not suitable for smokers 35 and over, people with migraine with aura, a past clot, high blood pressure and some other conditions. Chest pain, leg swelling or sudden breathlessness are emergencies.
Estradiol valerate and Qlaira's own missed-pill rules
Because the doses change through the pack, the standard WHO missed-pill rules for 20 to 35 mcg pills do not fit Qlaira.[src] What to do depends on which tablet you missed and how late you are, and the leaflet in the box spells it out. If you miss a tablet, check the leaflet right away, ask a pharmacist or doctor, and use condoms until you have checked.
Two practical points: keep the leaflet, since you cannot work these rules out from memory, and do not swap tablets between packs. Our Missed Pill Helper will point you back to the leaflet for this reason.
Who should not take Qlaira
Who should not take it
Combined pills may not be safe for you if:
- You smoke and are 35 or older
- You get migraine with aura (flashing lights or zigzags before a headache)
- You have had a blood clot in a leg or lung, or a stroke
- You have high blood pressure
- You gave birth less than 6 weeks ago and are breastfeeding
- You have some heart, liver or diabetes conditions
Combined pills may not be safe for you. Talk to a doctor. A progestin-only pill, implant or IUD is often an option instead.
Common side effects
Spotting between periods, sore breasts, nausea, headaches and mood changes, mostly in the first 3 months. Most settle within about 3 months. More on side effects.
When to get urgent help
Go to an emergency room now for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, coughing blood, a painful swollen leg, a sudden severe headache, vision changes or weakness on one side.
Check the product is registered
Buy only from licensed pharmacies. You can look up a product on the FDA Philippines verification portal.
Same formula, different price
Estradiol valerate + dienogest. Same active ingredients and dose; pack and inactive tablets can differ.
No other brand sold in the Philippines has exactly the same formula as Qlaira (estradiol valerate + dienogest). See all pills compared.
Three legal routes
Get a prescription
Qlaira needs a prescription in the Philippines. 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.
Qlaira FAQ
What is different about Qlaira?
Qlaira uses estradiol valerate instead of ethinylestradiol, with the progestin dienogest, and the doses change through the pack. Most other pills keep the same dose every day.
What do I do if I miss a Qlaira pill?
Qlaira has its own missed-pill rules because the doses change through the pack. Check the leaflet in your box, ask a pharmacist or doctor today, and use condoms until you have checked. If you had sex in the last 5 days, talk to a doctor today.
Why is Qlaira so expensive?
It costs from ₱1,437.50 a pack and has no same-formula twin in the Philippines. If cost is a problem, ask your doctor whether another pill would suit you.
Ano ang 2 inactive tablets sa Qlaira?
Walang hormone ang mga ito. Inumin pa rin ayon sa pagkakasunod sa pack, at simulan ang bagong pack kinabukasan pagkatapos ng huling tablet.
Do I need a prescription for Qlaira?
Yes. Qlaira is a prescription medicine in the Philippines and Watsons lists it as prescription required.
This guide is for information. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or switching birth control.
Sources
- Family Planning: A Global Handbook for Providers, WHO and Johns Hopkins CCP
- Managing missed pills (Family Planning Handbook), WHO and Johns Hopkins CCP
- Combined pill: risks and side effects, NHS
- Combined pill: who can and cannot take it, NHS
- Combination contraceptives: effects on weight (Gallo et al.), Cochrane / PubMed
- Oral contraceptives category, Watsons PH
- Prescription Pharmacy: Contraceptive Agents, Rose Pharmacy