The Aural Apothecary
The Aural Apothecary Podcast. An authentic yet lighthearted take on the world of medicines and healthcare in the UK from Jamie, Gimmo and Steve the Chemist.
Episodes
June 26, 2026 • 63 mins
In this final episode of Series 8, we are joined by Dr Ellie Cannon — NHS and private GP, women’s health specialist, Mail on Sunday health columnist, and author of The Little Book of HRT. The conversation ranges from the evolving landscape of menopause treatment and the dangers of health misinformation online to the role of the media in shaping public health behaviour.
Ellie reflects on her 18-year career as a GP...
Ellie reflects on her 18-year career as a GP...
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May 29, 2026 • 57 mins
Are your medicines actually working for you?
According to Professor Nick Barber, probably not as well as you think. In this episode of The Aural Apothecary, Jamie, Gimmo and STC are joined by Professor Nick Barber — pharmacist, academic and author of the new book How to take Drugs — for a sharp, eye-opening conversation about why medicines so often fail in the real world. Not because the drugs are useless,...
According to Professor Nick Barber, probably not as well as you think. In this episode of The Aural Apothecary, Jamie, Gimmo and STC are joined by Professor Nick Barber — pharmacist, academic and author of the new book How to take Drugs — for a sharp, eye-opening conversation about why medicines so often fail in the real world. Not because the drugs are useless,...
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May 7, 2026 • 73 mins
Is healthcare becoming too much like a repair shop?
In this episode, we are joined by Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, for a wide-ranging conversation on 10 years of Realistic Medicine and the themes explored in his latest report, Critical Connections.
Together we explore the need to create a better balance between biography and biology when practicing evidence based medicine. We discuss...
In this episode, we are joined by Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, for a wide-ranging conversation on 10 years of Realistic Medicine and the themes explored in his latest report, Critical Connections.
Together we explore the need to create a better balance between biography and biology when practicing evidence based medicine. We discuss...
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March 27, 2026 • 66 mins
In this episode, we explore the challenging landscape of disinformation in healthcare with Associate Professor Dr. Lena Frischlich from the University of Southern Denmark.
Lena is co-director of the Center for Digital Democracy and an expert in media psychology and communication science. Her research focuses on the interplay between the digital realm, human cognition, and behavior—particularly how manipulative online ...
Lena is co-director of the Center for Digital Democracy and an expert in media psychology and communication science. Her research focuses on the interplay between the digital realm, human cognition, and behavior—particularly how manipulative online ...
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February 27, 2026 • 61 mins
How did three pharmacists , two of whom had never met, come together to create one of the most distinctive medicines-focused podcasts around?
In this fifth anniversary special, hosted by Sarah Cripps , we reflect on five years of remarkable guests, powerful stories, and conversations that have reshaped how we think about medicines.
We look back at what has made us laugh, what has stayed with us, and the moments...
In this fifth anniversary special, hosted by Sarah Cripps , we reflect on five years of remarkable guests, powerful stories, and conversations that have reshaped how we think about medicines.
We look back at what has made us laugh, what has stayed with us, and the moments...
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January 30, 2026 • 63 mins
In an era where “there’s an app for that” is increasingly the answer, we turn our attention to what digital transformation really means for medicines. Not just convenience and clicks, but safety, understanding, and how people actually experience care.
In this episode, hosted by Jamie Hayes, STC, and Gimmo, we’re joined by Rahul Singal, Senior Responsible Officer for the Digital Medicines Programme at ...
In this episode, hosted by Jamie Hayes, STC, and Gimmo, we’re joined by Rahul Singal, Senior Responsible Officer for the Digital Medicines Programme at ...
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January 16, 2026 • 55 mins
The Apothecaries are back on the road! In this special live episode, The Aural Apothecary takes the stage at the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, hosted at Jesus College, Oxford University, as part of the Institute’s 10-year anniversary conference.
Our guest is Professor Ben Goldacre — a hero of ours, and the bestselling author of Bad Pharma, whose work has shaped how we think about evidence, transpare...
Our guest is Professor Ben Goldacre — a hero of ours, and the bestselling author of Bad Pharma, whose work has shaped how we think about evidence, transpare...
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December 26, 2025 • 50 mins
In this festive, end-of-year episode, the Apothecaries are joined by the fourth and fifth Apothecaries, Clare Howard and Jonathan Underhill. We reflect on momentous moments in medicines alongside some personal reflections, including the impact of AI on medicine, the drive towards reducing hospital stays for older frail patients, and the successes of the HPV vaccination program. Some familiar faces pop up in our end-of-year quiz and...
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What really happens to medicines after we swallow them? Where do they end up… and what exactly are we flushing away? Which medicines might we be taking —unknowingly—the next time we pour a glass of tap water?
In this episode, we explore the hidden life of pharmaceuticals after they leave our bodies. Professor Alistair Boxall, environmental chemist at the University of York, joins us to unpack the real impa...
In this episode, we explore the hidden life of pharmaceuticals after they leave our bodies. Professor Alistair Boxall, environmental chemist at the University of York, joins us to unpack the real impa...
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October 31, 2025 • 62 mins
Data - it’s mentioned in the new NHS 10 year Health Plan 178 times! As healthcare continues to evolve, the ability to turn data into insight — and insight into better prescribing — has never been more important.
In this episode, we’re joined by Brian McKenna, Director of Research and NHS Service Analytics at the Bennett Institute, University of Oxford, to discuss how we can get better at data. We expl...
In this episode, we’re joined by Brian McKenna, Director of Research and NHS Service Analytics at the Bennett Institute, University of Oxford, to discuss how we can get better at data. We expl...
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September 26, 2025 • 61 mins
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Laurence Gray, Consultant Clinical Pharmacologist and Director of the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) in Cardiff. We explore the vital topic of toxicity — from the dangers of medicines such as propranolol, to the principles of managing patients exposed to toxic substances, and the crucial role of healthcare professional education in reducing harm. Drawing on insights from ...
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August 29, 2025 • 52 mins
Dr Jessica Morley is a leading expert in digital health ethics, data governance, and artificial intelligence policy. Currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at Yale University’s Digital Ethics Center, she previously served as Director of Policy at the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science at the University of Oxford. Jess has also worked at the heart of digital transformation in the NHS, advising government departments on th...
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April 4, 2025 • 56 mins
This episode we are joined by Dr Margaret McCartney a practising General Practitioner and a Senior Clinical Lecturer in General Practice at the University of St Andrews. Margaret is a vocal advocate for Evidence Based Medicine and regular journal / newspaper columnist and contributor to the BBC Radio 4 programme Inside Health.
Does accepting money for a view affect a healthcare professional’s ability to make unbiased ...
Does accepting money for a view affect a healthcare professional’s ability to make unbiased ...
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February 28, 2025 • 69 mins
In this special episode we ‘Dive in at the Deep End’ and examine in-depth the Inverse Care Law. What is it, why does it matter to medicines optimisation - and what can we do about it?
The Inverse Care Law is a term first defined by the Welsh GP Dr Julian Tudor Hart over 50 years to describe how, perversely, people who most need health care are the least likely to get it. A law that sadly is as true now as it was...
The Inverse Care Law is a term first defined by the Welsh GP Dr Julian Tudor Hart over 50 years to describe how, perversely, people who most need health care are the least likely to get it. A law that sadly is as true now as it was...
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January 31, 2025 • 60 mins
What is a Clinical Pharmacologist? Who better to tell us than Professor Lauren Walker, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics and Honorary Consultant in General Internal Medicine at Liverpool University.
Lauren is a leading researcher in multimorbidity and AI-driven healthcare and plays a key role in early-phase clinical trials. We chat about her role in ‘First in Human’ trials - what are the...
Lauren is a leading researcher in multimorbidity and AI-driven healthcare and plays a key role in early-phase clinical trials. We chat about her role in ‘First in Human’ trials - what are the...
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January 10, 2025 • 58 mins
What is Deprescribing? Why is it so important? And the big question... who invented it?! We present a masterclass in deprescribing from pharmacist Dr Emily Reeve from Monash University in Australia who is also Chair of the Australian Deprescribing Network.
The need to review, reduce or stop medicines has been a regular topic of conversation here on the Aural Apothecary. But how do we do it? Deprescribing should be an integra...
The need to review, reduce or stop medicines has been a regular topic of conversation here on the Aural Apothecary. But how do we do it? Deprescribing should be an integra...
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Pull up a chair and join the Three Apothecaries around the fire as we wrap up the year with a lively chat featuring friends and colleagues Clare Howard and Jonathan Underhill. Together, we reflect on an exciting and dramatic year in the ever-changing world of healthcare and medicines.
From groundbreaking developments like weight-loss drugs and debates around assisted dying to critical issues such as polypharmacy and explorin...
From groundbreaking developments like weight-loss drugs and debates around assisted dying to critical issues such as polypharmacy and explorin...
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Welcome to the second in our series of ‘The Aural Apothecary Analyses’, where we will be delving a bit deeper into some of the recurring themes from our first series. This week we are joined by Dr Matthew Jones and Angela Carrinton to discuss medicines safety and how we can help clinicians & patients make better decisions.
Healthcare professionals rely on guidelines to help them make the right choices. ...
Healthcare professionals rely on guidelines to help them make the right choices. ...
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November 15, 2024 • 64 mins
Freedom from Command and Control was the very first book choice on the Aural Apothecary and its themes of failure demand, systems thinking and value have featured heavily on the show ever since. It is a real pleasure therefore this week to welcome its author, John Seddon.
John Seddon is an occupational psychologist and author, specialising in the service industry. He is the managing director of Vanguard the inventor o...
John Seddon is an occupational psychologist and author, specialising in the service industry. He is the managing director of Vanguard the inventor o...
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October 24, 2024 • 57 mins
This week, when we return to our normal format we are joined by Community Pharmacist Dr Berwyn Owen. Berwyn is a pharmacy proprietor and prescriber in North Wales. Formerly a Chief Pharmacist and a member of the General Pharmaceutical Council he is well placed to discuss what the future of medicines management looks like through the lens of community pharmacy.
Drawing on his wide ranging experience which includes stin...
Drawing on his wide ranging experience which includes stin...
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