CAEAS-ECAB
Your Plan reimburses you based on the cost of the lowest-priced interchangeable drug – most often a generic version of the brand-name drug. Generic drugs contain the same active ingredient(s) as the original brand-name drug, are equally effective, and typically cost far less.
This lowest-priced reimbursement level applies even if your doctor writes “no substitution” on your prescription. So, if your doctor prescribes a brand-name drug, you have a couple of options:
If a brand-name drug is required for medical reasons (e.g., a specific drug allergy), you will need to go through an exception process with Canada Life before the plan will cover it. Your doctor will need to complete a Request for Brand Name Drug Coverage form and provide medical evidence.
Health Canada closely tests and regulates generics – and if a generic product is not identical to the brand-name product, it is taken off the market. You might also be surprised to learn that a number of large brand-name drug companies also manufacture generics.
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