Q: I don't have a long distance company. I read in one of your columns that consumers could use a dial-around number. What I want to know is, what is a dial-around number? I have a card that I use, also a cell phone, but once in a while I would just like to pick up the phone and make a call.

M. ABERCROMBIE

Pittsburgh

A: A "dial-around" number or a "10-10" number is a simple way to place a long distance call without signing up with Verizon or AT&T or any other long distance company.

When you shop for a 10-10 number, shop carefully. If you just want to be able to pick up the phone and dial out every once in a while, you don't need bells and whistles. You are looking for a company that will not charge a plan fee and has a low per-minute charge. But watch out for those connection fees.

A 10-10 number is a long distance access code. That means you dial your 10-10 number to get immediate access to long distance service. After you enter your access code, you dial your number just as you normally would.

I am not recommending any one plan.

Using 10-10-297 as an example, you would dial 10-10-297-1-555-555-5555. That's it.

This particular 10-10 access code charges 3 cents a minute for the call and 39 cents to connect. That means if you place a call to Texas and talk for 20 minutes, it would cost you 39 cents plus 60 cents for the 20 minutes you talked, plus any taxes that might apply.

Usually you will be billed by your regular phone company under that third party billing section. If for some reason, your local phone company doesn't bill for the company you choose, the company will bill you directly.

You don't have to sign up for this. You just pick up the phone and do it.

Q: I received an unsolicited fax from an online pharmacy called MyPharma1.net. It says I can order prescription medication without a prescription. Just fill out an online questionnaire and one of their doctors will write the prescription. An online pharmacy will fill the order and ship it overnight to your door. Is this for real? Or better yet, legal?

N. MOZEIK

Monroeville

A: It's a dangerous game. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to dispense prescription drugs without a valid prescription. The American Medical Association does not consider doctors writing prescriptions for people they have never seen or spoken with to meet appropriate medical standards of care.

The FDA says it will work with states to determine the validity of online prescriptions and to bring action under state law, federal law or both when appropriate.

So it sounds like it's sort of legal sometimes, but probably not. It sounds a lot like the doublespeak seniors traveling to Canada for prescriptions were getting from the government.

Legal or not, people are doing it. Some do it for privacy reasons -- you may not want your company to know you take back pain medication. Others do it because it may be a way to get drugs for less money. But remember, there is risk.

What about this company? It looks like a company to stay away from. I could not find a MyPharma1.net. But when you enter that Web address, you find yourself at My Pharmacy Now (myPharmNow.com). That site says it is part of Alliance Healthcare Group. The Web site for Alliance Healthcare Group has the following message on the top of its home page in bold letters:

"Attention: Anyone receiving unsolicited faxes from MyPharma1.net or MyPharma1.com we are in no way affiliated with this company."

My advice N., is to steer clear of this one. If your experience mirrors the experiences of others who have received this fax, your next question will be: "How do I get them to stop sending me these faxes?" That answer next week.