Q. My husband and I are 63. I am on nine prescriptions and my husband is on four prescriptions for his asthma. Our insurance does not cover prescriptions.
We estimate our prescription cost this year is approximately $11,000. Do you have any suggestions where we can buy our prescriptions to save money?
A. Without drug insurance or Medicare coverage you are vulnerable. You get charged full price at the pharmacy, whereas insurance companies and the government negotiate discounts.
Buying brand name prescription drugs from Canada can save you money. Be careful, though. Not all online pharmacies that claim to be Canadian are legitimate. Look for the Provincial pharmacy license number on the Web site.
Generic drugs can also result in substantial savings, but we worry about lax FDA oversight. Readers of this column have reported some problems with generic drugs.
We are sending you our Guide to Saving Money on Medicine with tips for using generic drugs safely and guidelines for buying medicines from Canada. It can be downloaded for $2 from the Website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.org.
© 2007 King Features Syndicate, Inc.