590. Can $55 Billion End the Opioid Epidemic?

It regulates 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and its commissioner has an aggressive agenda — faster drug approvals, healthier food, cures for diabetes and cancer. How much can he deliver? (Part two of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”) SOURCES:Marty Makary, commis ...  Show more

We all want to stay sharp, and forestall the cognitive effects of aging. But do brain supplements actually work? Are they safe? And why doesn’t the F.D.A. even know what’s in them? (Part one of “The Freakonomics Radio Guide to Getting Better.”) SOURCES:Marty Makary, commissioner ...  Show more

Mark Parrino has been involved with the delivery of health care and treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) since 1974. As the president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc. (AATOD), he works with treatment providers across the country to devel ...  Show more

In the U.S. doctors often prescribe opioids for pain management, and it's no secret that these substances are a big business for pharmaceutical companies -- and, increasingly, it's no secret that exposure to these legal pills are turning patients into unwilling addicts. So how ex ...  Show more

"We should never, ever forget that addiction treatment is a search for meaning in a place other than using drugs."

—Nancy Campbell, historian of drug addiction

(This is the third and final chapter of a three-part se ...

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, InisdeTracker, and Rupa Health. If you or a loved one struggle with addiction, this is an episode you’re going to want to listen to. Many of our current pharmaceuticals stem from compounds discovered in plant medicines. And many benef ...  Show more