That way, your recommended way, is how it works in the UK: there's an 'experimental' phase where the right dose for you as an individual is worked out.

My doctor told me it's quite normal to take the medication in the form of multiple pills that combine to the maximum daily dose for that individual.

Hormonal cycles mean that sometimes you might need more, sometimes you might need less, so the individual's choice is to take the full dose some days and only some of it on others - but obviously you wouldn't take more than your daily limit unless you are particularly fond of the cardiac wing.

All that is actually written on the prescription: "up to n pills of x milligrams daily, as required."