Is a pharmacist allowed to substitute generic versions of products that are not listed in the Interchangeable Formulary?
Generic Substitution in Newfoundland and Labrador is mandatory for those drugs specifically listed in the provincial Interchangeable Drug Products Formulary (and has been for over 20 years). The legislation governing generic substitution may be found in the Pharmaceutical Services Act which can be found on our Legislation page. The Interchangeable Drug Products Formulary may be accessed from our Links page. This legislation allows the pharmacist to automatically substitute any of the equivalent products listed in the Interchangeable Formulary, but requires that the pharmacist charge no more than the lowest price listed for that category. The prescriber or the patient has the right to request “no substitution”, in which case the pharmacist may charge the listed price of the specific brand requested. In cases of “no substitution” the pharmacist is also required to inform the patient of the specific difference in price between the lowest priced item in the category and the product request
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