Currently there are over 43 million people un-insured or under-insured in the United States. Many of them are forced to choose between their groceries and their vital prescription drugs and pills. Some people are even faced with bankruptcy when they can not afford their prescription medications. In many cases, prescriptions are an essential part of daily therapy.

Drug prices continue to rise in the United States at a time when the senior population continues to grow. The importance of the online discount pharmacy option is more important than ever. Some of the best options of finding the best prices for people who can no longer afford their prescription medications are online.

Prescription drugs should be available and accessible to all individuals, not just the wealthy. Links above represent some of the most affordable prescription drugs online.

Remember that most prescription discount cards or medication plans only offer a small discount on drug costs. As prices increase, more and more of your income will be needed to maintain your medication plan. The best alternative to high priced medication is purchasing your medications in online pharmacies.

Online pharmacies have great choice of prescription drugs and pills, over-the-counter drugs, herbal medications as well as generic drugs.

A generic drug is a copy of the brand-name drug with the same dosage, safety, strength, quality, how it is taken, performance, and intended use. Before generics become available on the market, the generic company must prove it has the same active ingredients as the brand-name and works the same way in the body in the same amount of time.

The only differences between generics and their brand-name counterparts is that generics are less expensive and may look slightly different (eg. different shape or color), as trademarks laws prevent a generic from looking exactly like the brand-name drug.

Generics are less expensive because generic manufacturers don't have to invest large sums of money to invent a drug. When the brand-name patent expires, generic companies can manufacture a copy of the brand-name and sell it at substantial discounts.

Generic drugs are made with the same active ingredients and produce the same effects in the body as their brand-name equivalents. By federal law, each generic drug is laboratory-tested to ensure the same amount of drug will be absorbed into the bloodstream. The difference? Name and price.

Drugs are originally marketed by their brand name, which is protected by patent for up to 20 years. Until the patent expires, no other companies can produce the generic equivalent, keeping the cost to the consumer higher. When the drug patent expires, the drug is able to be released by other companies, creating competition. Brand-name firms are linked to an estimated 50 percent of generic drug production. The only difference may be the color or shape of the drug and the price.

The American Medical Association, the largest organization of medical doctors, endorses generic drugs as acceptable for the American public. And most hospitals routinely use generic drugs for treatment of their patients. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces generic drug standards through legislation. See related links below for the facts on generic drugs from the FDA.

Generic drugs are held to the same federal Food and Drug Administration standards for safety and performance as the brand names yet sell for 30-75 percent less.

To earn FDA approval, a generic must deliver the same amount of active ingredients in the same time as the brand name.

The FDA requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity and stability as brand names.

The Congressional Budget Office says generic drugs save consumers an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion a year at retail pharmacies. Billions more are saved if hospitals use generics.