Yes, in fact, for most provincial drug plans that cover the aging population across Canada, pharmacists are required to dispense a generic drug if it's available, even if it's prescribed as a brand name, unless the physician writes “no substitution” on it. We see the extensive use of generic drugs in Canada. Obviously, a critical value is that they reduce the overall cost of prescriptions.
On October 31st, 2011. See this statement in context.