Hypochondriacs, beware: Austin's rx.com is packed with enough information about various illnesses to keep you in diseases for several lifetimes. Fortunately, they sell prescription drugs (or placebos) to cure you, plus 25,000 over-the-counter products, such as bandages and activated charcoal. Except for all the medicines my aging dogs take, my life has been relatively free of prescription drugs, so I asked my friend Duane, a former pharmacist, to surf the site. He discovered online savings of 10 percent to 20 percent for drugs such as Zocor, which lowers cholesterol, and Cipro, an antibiotic, compared with the prices at Walgreen's.

KUDOS The site's online publication, RX Magazine, has well-written articles on heart disease, breast cancer, and the like, as well as loads of links to more information.

GRIPES Not the site's fault, but even a day's lag time between shopping online and receiving your meds may be too great if you're sick.