Ovranette Tablets

Ovranette is a combined oral contraceptive tablet containing levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms per tablet. It is licensed in the United Kingdom for the prevention of pregnancy. Ovranette belongs to the combined hormonal contraceptive group of medicines and works by suppressing ovulation, thickening cervical mucus, and altering the endometrial lining to prevent fertilisation and implantation. It is available as a film-coated tablet in a 21-tablet pack taken on a standard 21-day active tablet, seven-day break schedule. This page provides information about how Ovranette works, how to take it correctly, important safety information, and how to start a consultation.

Ovranette is manufactured by Pfizer Limited. It is a monophasic pill: every tablet in the 21-tablet pack contains the same dose of both hormones throughout the course. It is one of four UK-licensed levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol preparations that are considered clinically equivalent. The others are Microgynon 30 (Bayer), Levest (Morningside Healthcare), and Rigevidon (Consilient Health). All four contain identical active ingredients at identical doses and are prescribed and dispensed interchangeably under NHS and FSRH guidance.

Ovranette is a monophasic combined oral contraceptive. Monophasic means every active tablet in the pack is identical. There are no dose changes, colour steps, or phase transitions to track. You take the same tablet every day for 21 days, then stop for seven days.

Each tablet contains two active hormones:

1. Levonorgestrel 150 micrograms: a synthetic second-generation progestogen with a well-established prescribing and safety record in the UK
2. Ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms: a synthetic oestrogen

Levonorgestrel is a second-generation progestogen. MHRA guidance confirms that levonorgestrel-containing pills including Ovranette sit in the lowest VTE risk category among combined oral contraceptives. This is lower than the VTE risk associated with third-generation progestogens such as desogestrel, gestodene, and norgestimate. It is one clinical reason levonorgestrel-based pills are frequently the first combined pill prescribed for women who have no specific reason to use an alternative progestogen.

Ovranette is clinically equivalent to Microgynon 30, Levest, and Rigevidon. Women are routinely dispensed one version in place of another based on pharmacy availability, without any change in contraceptive content. If you receive Ovranette when you expected Microgynon 30, or vice versa, the active ingredients are unchanged.

Stopping Ovulation

Levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol together suppress the pituitary hormones that normally trigger ovulation. Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone are both inhibited. Without the luteinising hormone surge, the ovary does not release an egg. This is the primary and dominant contraceptive mechanism of Ovranette and of all combined oral contraceptives.

Cervical Mucus Thickening

Levonorgestrel increases the viscosity of cervical mucus. Sperm cannot penetrate it as readily, adding a secondary contraceptive barrier. This mechanism remains active throughout the cycle.

Endometrial Change

The combined hormonal environment alters the endometrial lining, making it less receptive to implantation. This is a third layer of protection. In practice, the primary mechanism of ovulation suppression is so reliable when the pill is taken correctly that this third mechanism rarely becomes relevant.

The Seven-Day Break and Withdrawal Bleed

After 21 days of active tablets, stopping the pill causes oestrogen and progestogen levels to fall. This hormone drop triggers a withdrawal bleed during the seven-day break. This bleed is not a true menstrual period. It is a pharmacological response to hormone withdrawal. It is typically lighter, shorter, and more predictable than a natural period. The break must be exactly seven days. A gap longer than seven days risks ovarian follicle activity resuming before the new pack re-establishes hormonal suppression.

When to Start

If you begin on day one of your period, you are protected from pregnancy immediately. If you start between days two and five of your cycle, use condoms or another barrier method for the first seven days.

Switching from another combined pill: take your first Ovranette tablet the day after your last active tablet from the previous pack. No gap is needed and protection continues.

Switching from a progestogen-only pill: start Ovranette on any day and use a barrier method for the first seven days.

Day to Day

Take one Ovranette tablet at the same time every day for 21 consecutive days. After the 21st tablet, stop for exactly seven days. Begin the next pack on day 29, whether or not the withdrawal bleed has finished. The break must not go beyond seven days.

1. Swallow each tablet whole with water.
2. Taking tablets at the same time each day helps maintain stable hormone levels.
3. Do not extend the seven-day break. Starting a new pack late increases the risk of ovulation.
4. If you vomit within two hours of taking a tablet, or have a bout of severe diarrhoea, treat it as a missed pill.

If You Miss a Tablet

Under 24 hours late: take the missed tablet as soon as you remember and continue the pack as normal. You remain protected.

More than 24 hours late: take the missed tablet now and take the next at the usual time, even if two fall on the same day. Use a barrier method for the next seven days.

Two or more missed in a row: take only the most recently missed tablet and discard the others. Continue the pack and use condoms for seven days. If the missed tablets fell in week one and you had unprotected sex during that window, contact your prescriber or pharmacist urgently about emergency contraception.

Ovranette contains levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms per tablet. Every tablet in the 21-tablet pack is identical. There are no dose variations or phases.

One tablet is taken daily for 21 days, followed by a seven-day break, then a new pack on day 29. The dose is fixed throughout the course.

The Levonorgestrel 30 mcg Family

Ovranette is one of four preparations containing levonorgestrel 150 micrograms and ethinylestradiol 30 micrograms. All four are clinically equivalent:

1. Microgynon 30 – Bayer plc
2. Levest – Morningside Healthcare Ltd
3. Rigevidon – Consilient Health Ltd
4. Ovranette – Pfizer Limited

The everyday format variant, Microgynon 30 ED, contains the same 21 active tablets plus 7 inactive placebo tablets. This allows the pill to be taken daily without a break. The active content is identical to Ovranette. If you prefer a no-break format, discuss Microgynon 30 ED with your prescriber at your consultation.

The following is based on the current UK SmPC for Ovranette. Not everyone experiences side effects. Read the Patient Information Leaflet in full before starting.

Common Side Effects

Common side effects include headache, nausea, breast tenderness, mood changes including low mood, reduced libido, and irregular spotting or changes to the withdrawal bleed pattern in the first one to three cycles.

Less Common Side Effects

1. Weight changes
2. Contact lens intolerance due to changes in corneal curvature
3. Chloasma: patches of darker skin on the face, made worse by sun exposure
4. Changes in vaginal discharge

Serious Signs to Act on Immediately

Stop taking Ovranette and seek urgent medical help if you experience:

1. Sudden chest pain, breathlessness, or coughing up blood
2. Swelling, pain, warmth, or redness in one leg only
3. Sudden severe headache, loss of vision, speech difficulty, or weakness on one side of your body
4. Severe abdominal pain
5. Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes

These can be signs of a blood clot, stroke, or liver problem and require immediate medical attention.

Blood Clot Risk

All combined pills carry a small increased VTE risk compared with women not using hormonal contraception. Levonorgestrel-containing pills including Ovranette sit in the lowest VTE risk category among combined pills, as confirmed by MHRA guidance. The risk is lower than with third-generation progestogen-containing pills such as those with desogestrel, gestodene, or norgestimate. Your prescriber assesses your individual risk factors, including BMI, smoking status, personal and family history of blood clots, and planned immobility, before recommending Ovranette.

Medicines That Affect How Ovranette Works

Enzyme-inducing medicines speed up the breakdown of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol, reducing their blood levels and contraceptive reliability. These include rifampicin, certain antiepileptic medicines such as phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, and topiramate, some HIV antiretrovirals, and St John's Wort. Tell your prescriber about every medicine, supplement, and herbal product you take.

Ovranette Is Not Suitable If You:

1. Have ever had a blood clot: deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, or heart attack
2. Have migraine with aura: an absolute contraindication to all oestrogen-containing combined pills
3. Have uncontrolled high blood pressure
4. Have active or past liver disease, liver tumours, or jaundice related to pill use
5. Have or have had breast cancer or another hormone-sensitive cancer
6. Are pregnant
7. Are breastfeeding a baby under six weeks old
8. Smoke and are 35 or older
9. Have diabetes with established vascular complications

Ovranette May Be Appropriate If You:

1. Are a healthy adult woman with no contraindications to combined hormonal contraception
2. Are starting combined hormonal contraception for the first time and have no specific clinical reason to use a third-generation progestogen
3. Have previously taken Microgynon 30, Levest, or Rigevidon and are being dispensed Ovranette as the equivalent preparation
4. Have no personal or family history of blood clots, stroke, or cardiovascular disease
5. Do not have migraine with aura and are not a heavy smoker

Talk to Your Prescriber First If You:

1. Smoke and are under 35. Smoking raises cardiovascular risk with oestrogen-containing contraception at any age.
2. Have a BMI above 30. Raised BMI independently increases VTE risk.
3. Have a first-degree family member who had a blood clot before the age of 50.
4. Have migraines without aura. Individual clinical assessment is required.
5. Are planning long-haul travel or face extended immobility.
6. Have a history of depression or are currently being treated for a mood disorder.

Pharmacy Planet is a GPhC registered UK online pharmacy. Every Ovranette prescription is issued following a clinical consultation reviewed individually by a registered prescriber. The consultation is the primary step. A prescription is the possible outcome, not a guaranteed one.

You complete a clinical questionnaire covering your health history, current medicines, smoking status, BMI, family history of blood clots and cardiovascular conditions, and any previous contraceptive experience. The prescriber reads your answers and makes an independent clinical decision. That decision may result in a prescription for Ovranette, a recommendation for a different combined pill, a suggestion to consider a different contraceptive method, a request for further information, or a referral for a face-to-face review.

Repeat supply prescriptions follow the same individual review. There is no automatic renewal at Pharmacy Planet. Each repeat consultation confirms that your current health profile continues to support prescribing Ovranette.

Store Ovranette below 25°C, away from direct heat and sunlight. Keep tablets in the original blister strip until you are ready to take them. Store out of reach of children. Check the expiry date on the carton before each pack.

Return unused or out-of-date tablets to any UK pharmacy for safe disposal at no charge. Do not put tablets in household waste or flush them down the toilet.

This reference guide compares the contraceptive preparations available at Pharmacy Planet, grouped by delivery method and formulation type. Every preparation is a Prescription Only Medicine. A registered prescriber will review your individual health profile, contraceptive history, and risk factors before recommending any preparation. This table is a clinical reference, not a recommendation.

Combined Oral Contraceptive Tablets (Monophasic)

Monophasic combined pills contain the same dose of both hormones in every active tablet. The table below compares commonly prescribed monophasic combined oral contraceptives by progestogen type, oestrogen dose, VTE risk category, pack format, and key clinical characteristics.

Important: This comparison is for general information only and does not replace medical advice. A prescriber will decide which treatment is suitable for you following an online consultation.

Ovranette is a well-established combined pill in UK prescribing, but familiarity does not remove the need for individual clinical assessment. A levonorgestrel-based combined pill still requires a prescriber to review your VTE risk profile, migraine history, blood pressure, current medicines, and any contraindications before issuing a prescription. At Pharmacy Planet, every Ovranette consultation is read and assessed by a registered prescriber who takes responsibility for that clinical decision.

If Ovranette is not the right choice for you, the prescriber will say so and explain why. Our process is built on clinical accuracy, not speed of supply.

• Pfizer Limited. Ovranette film-coated tablets – Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: www.medicines.org.uk/emc. Accessed May 2026.
• Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH). Combined Hormonal Contraception – Clinical Guidance. Available at: www.fsrh.org. Accessed May 2026.
• NHS. Combined pill – your contraception guide. Available at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/combined-contraceptive-pill. Accessed May 2026.
• British National Formulary (BNF). Ethinylestradiol with levonorgestrel. Available at: bnf.nice.org.uk. Accessed May 2026.
• MHRA. Combined hormonal contraceptives and venous thromboembolism – updated guidance. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency. Accessed May 2026.