The People's Pharmacy

This week on our nationally syndicated public radio show, we invite gastroenterologist Nicholas Shaheen into our studio to answer your questions about protecting your digestive tract. He is a nationally recognized expert in esophageal diseases and has helped write numerous treatment guidelines for gastrointestinal illnesses. Detecting Digestive Tract Tumors: Two of the most common cancers […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we talk with one of the world’s leading experts on indoor air quality. If we had been paying more attention to air when the COVID-19 pandemic began, we might have saved millions of lives. Improving air quality is still critical to our health. Not only is SARS-CoV-2, […]

Cassandra Quave is an explorer and an ethnobotanist uncovering potential ways that plants can benefit human health. She has a particular interest in multi-antibiotic resistant infections. Not only do these pose a grave risk for people around the world; her professional interest is also personal. When she was three years old, she suffered a post-surgical […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we learn where the most germs are lurking in our homes and workplaces. Public toilets often make people nervous, but in fact, says Dr. Chuck Gerba, cafeterias and break rooms are much more likely to harbor dangerous pathogens. What will help us in avoiding germs? Hint–keep on […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the impacts of negative attitudes toward aging and how to fight back against ageism. In the US, many people hold negative stereotypes about growing older. These beliefs can affect our health as we age. Why Are Negative Stereotypes About Aging So Destructive? Psychiatrist Robert Butler […]

This week on our nationally syndicated public radio show, Dr. John Abramson describes the impact of Big Pharma on American health care. In the US, we spend more on healthcare than any other country (both overall and per capita). However, our health metrics are mostly mediocre. Compared to other wealthy countries, they are abysmal! Big […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, learn how to cope with tear problems. This is an extremely common eye disease, but that doesn’t mean it is trivial. An estimated 16 million adults in the US suffer with dry eyes, and suffer is the right verb for many of them. What Is Dry Eye […]

Dr. Robert Lustig has been warning us all about the hazards of sugar since 2009, when his YouTube lecture “Sugar: The Bitter Truth” went viral. As a pediatric neuroendocrinologist, he spent much of his career treating the causes of obesity in children. Now, he turns his impressive expertise to helping adults as well as children. […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week we’ll be taking your questions live. Our topic is how you can save money on prescription medications. As with nearly everything else, their prices have been rising. First, we speak with health and medicine investigative reporter for Consumer Reports Lisa Gill about five ways to save on […]

For many months now, people have been dealing with the pandemic, Which has brought both grief for the lives lost and anxiety about the threat of infection. At the same time, fires and floods have made it clear that climate change is not a fuzzy future concern, but an urgent issue. The economic impact of […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week you’ll learn about a cardiac risk factor you may never have heard mentioned. Although scientists identified lipoprotein a as an important problem in the 1970s, your doctor may never have measured your level. We ask one of the country’s leading experts why Lp(a) has been overlooked for […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we talk with Dr. Aaron Carroll, who is a Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and the Chief Health Officer of Indiana University. Despite rising infection rates, many of the precautions common last summer are melting away. There are no mask mandates on […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we have a guest live in the studio. Podiatrist Jane Andersen will be ready to answer your questions about foot problems and what you can do about them. Fixing Your Foot Problems: Has the pandemic been hard on your feet? Some foot doctors report seeing 20 to […]

This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we talk with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel. His latest series for The New York Times takes a long look at the mental health crisis affecting American teenagers. This is not a tale of COVID disruption, although COVID has made it worse. This is a story of […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we with an international expert about managing the microbiome. How does the microbiome interact with our immune system? Each of us has trillions of microbes living in our digestive tract. The exact number and type of species varies from one person to the next, so in essence […]

We are heartbroken that Dr. Paul Farmer, with whom we spoke in this episode, died suddenly on Feb. 21, 2022. He was a true hero. Our condolences to his family and colleagues. We are airing this interview in memoriam. In 2014, an Ebola epidemic broke out in three countries of West Africa–Liberia, Guinea and Sierra […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, our guests discuss “forever chemicals” (PFAS) used in a wide range of products. How do they affect our health? What Are PFAS, or Forever Chemicals? Scientists refer to a large class of synthetic chemicals, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, as “forever chemicals.” A Dupont chemist created […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we consider the benefits of two dietary supplements against autoimmune diseases. Although health care providers are sometimes skeptical about the value of supplements, the VITAL trial represents gold-standard research. In fact, this large, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids each reduce […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we consider the strengths and shortcomings of evidence-based medicine. Compared to the alternatives–basing medical care on opinion or tradition–evidence-based medicine sounds like a great idea. As currently practiced, however, it falls far short of its potential. What Is Evidence-Based Medicine? Philosopher and bioethicist Leemon McHenry describes the […]

In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we talk with two scientists who have been studying how eating cherries affects our physiology. Both are experts in sports medicine who have done some intriguing research that may convince you to include tart cherries in your diet. Tart Cherries for Precovery: First we speak with Dr. […]