I think that's the case in many states in the US too--and in all states you can request the lowest-priced substitute unless the prescription explicitly says you can't (and I know of no case of that happening on a prescription). If your insurance pays for it, the insurance company will likely insist on lowest-priced substitute.

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

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