Has anyone dealt with an international move or change in birth control brand? I currently live in the United States, but will be moving to Italy early next year. Fortunately, I have enough pills to get me through the first year. Their expiration date is also fine (I created a whole spreadsheet of when to take each specific pack based on expiration date order). I really like the brand I take right now, but I’m pretty sure they don’t sell it over there. I’m trying to decide if I should have a family member pick it up for me at the pharmacy since I’m getting my prescription renewed soon or if I should just get a new brand with the same ingredients in Italy. The issue with getting the same one to get it for me in the US is that I would technically no longer have insurance so it will probably cost $120 as that’s the retail price. I plan to enroll in the public healthcare system in Italy so they would probably be free, but I would need to switch brands. From the research I’ve seen, most of their packs seem to have 21 pills and none for the placebo week. It’s not a big deal but it helps me keep track of when I need to start the next pack (in addition to this app of course). I’d love to hear about your experiences switching brands! If the brand switch was always of the same exact ingredients, did you experience any side effects during the switch?

I haven’t done an international move yet, but here’s what I’ve learned from switching birth control brands before. If the pill you switch to in Italy has the exact same active ingredients and the same doses, the transition is usually really smooth. Most people don’t experience major side effects—maybe a little spotting or mood/skin changes during the first one or two cycles, but that’s just your body adjusting. Honestly, the cost difference makes it pretty practical to just switch once I’m in Italy, especially since the public healthcare system will likely cover it. The 21-day packs shouldn’t be a problem either. Even though I’m used to having the placebo week, I can still track everything with my app, so it’s more of a minor routine change than anything else. I do really love my current brand, but paying $120 without insurance just to keep it feels like more hassle than it’s worth when I could get the same formulation there for free. As long as the ingredients and dosage match, it usually works out fine.

Totally agree with above. I've been on at least 3 different brands of my pill over the years, all with the same ingredients, and never noticed any difference. I definitely don't think it's worth it to pay $120 for the same exact brand when you can get equivalent brands in Italy

Thank you both! I’m going to try one of the brands they have in Italy. Even if I don’t enroll in the healthcare immediately, it should cost max 10-15 euros for a pack which is like half of the price of one pack here. The $120 price is for a 3-month supply

I moved internationally and they don’t do my pill here and I couldn’t find one with the same ingredients. Didn’t want to risk switching so I get friends / family to bring it over for me and I usually get a year supply

@d1996 thank you! I just renewed my prescription refill for a year’s supply. I can’t fill it yet because I’m still on insurance and recently filled. But I think I’m going to do the same as you if I’m not able to find the same ingredients once I move!