After recently moving to California and experiencing a mild earthquake I decided to obtain an extra month supply of prescription medication for my family and myself as this is recommended for disaster preparedness. I found out that this is a very difficult thing to do and furthermore most insurance companies won’t pay for it. Experts working in disasters know that people frequently don’t have access to their everyday medications. While there may be some exceptions such as concern about addiction or suicidal tendencies, most people should have the ability to obtain an extra month supply of their medication above that which is usually prescribed for them. The author co-authored a resolution at the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association that would have this organization work with other medical groups and interested parties to advocate that laws and regulations be changed to allow individuals to have extra medication on hand for emergencies and disasters. The readers of this blog were asked to check the situation where they live in the U.S. or internationally in regard to this problem and to report in the comment section of this blog.