And, Lazy, you can sort out a few links here: http://bit.ly/RXMBJ which list some national helpful programs.

A new initiative in Florida launched this year is called Cover Florida plan for folks who have been without health insurance for at least six months, and are not eligible for a public health insurance program such as Medicaid or Medicare: http://www.coverfloridahealthcare.com/#

Also, The Florida Discount Drug Card Program can be of help to people with low income and who are over 60: http://bit.ly/wxNO

Just a side note: Many drugs become less effective after their expiration date, no harm done if you take them. Others become MORE potent and cause life-threatening side effects. You never really know unless you speak with a doctor or pharmacist, and most won’t share that information.

If you’re getting a prescription drug, which the gov says must “expire” one date after it is packaged, ask for the “real” expiration date on the bottle. Many drugs, such as migraine or pain medication, have a much longer shelf life than one year. This can save you money if you’re getting a prescription drug for an on-and-off problem. You don’t need to throw the drug away after one year if it is stored properly – low moisture and light, ect. Just ask the tech politely, please.

People are buying painkillers so they can keep exercising through the pain rather than run right (or stop running!). Type II diabetes? Well, given the choice between the needle and not eating the cupcake, people choose the needle?!

Minor ailments that generally solve themselves result in prescriptions. And don’t get me started on antibiotics! Or orthodontics — Americans has a strange fascination with making their teeth straight and blue/white instead of the natural cream color. Generally, if you can chew, orthodontics is not needed.

Of the more major problems are the fascination with cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) which have effectively no effect (but potentially serious side effects) if you have not previously suffered a heart attack.

I also note a divergent attitude on putting people on blood pressure lowering medicine and yet American’s don’t live longer than people in countries that don’t do this as a matter of policy.

Of course there are diseases where drugs do make a large difference, but there are certainly many problems where drugs are not needed but prescribed anyway, at least in the US.

Disclosure: Long WFC (I’m a cynic, what can I say)

And since one of my most vital meds isn’t covered by Medicare (off-label use) and is nearly $500 a month, I DEFINITELY wouldn’t buy from Canada. At all.

Since we’re all not buying from there, it’s completely useless for me to point out that I would base my trust of a place on whether they required a real prescription. (Some places seem to offer to write the scrip for you. Scary stuff.) They would require you to fax or send in a prescription from an American doctor. Then a Canadian doc would review the symptoms you listed and the prescription asked for, and write one that is legitimate in Canada.

But, of course, since we’re all so honest, clearly that information isn’t useful.

It’s also good to discuss any prescription concerns with your doc. Let him/her know if your coverage is nonexistent or questionable. Most of them will consider all options and help you find a cheap one.

There are safety concerns too if buying just over the internet.

Watch the pricing on OTCs. I used to buy Ranitidine (generic Zantac) for acid reflux (unfortunately I am now on an rX). One retailer had consistently bizarre pricing. Sometimes the price-per-pill of the 80 count bottle would be considerably more than the PPP of any quantity larger or smaller than the 80 count. Other times, it was as if a monkey randomly assigned the prices to the various size bottles.

This doesn’t just apply to meds, of course. Never assume that a larger package means a lower per unit price, because this isn’t always the case. I think some retailers take advantage of the public perception of “larger is cheaper” as well as the assumption that most people can’t calculate unit prices in their head. If you’re not good at math, use the calculator on your cell phone :)