Medication
How new eyedrops could improve close-up vision
A new FDA-approved eye drop medicine could replace reading glasses for millions of people who have age-related blurry vision. Dr Sid Ogra joins the show to explain how the eye drops work and what they… Audio
How to manage pain better through diet
Rowena Field is a PhD student in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney whose just-completed thesis investigated the effects of a low-carb ketogenic diet on chronic pain. Audio
How brain magnets can help relieve depression
Depression is the leading cause of disability around the world, with World Health Organisation global estimates suggesting that 5% of adults worldwide suffer in some way. Around half of those people… Audio
Drug use among older adults a 'hidden epidemic'
According to the International Narcotics Control Board, which recently issued its annual report, drug use among older adults is a 'hidden epidemic'. Dr Andy Towers from the School of Health Sciences… Audio
The secret to living to well into your 90s (or older)
Dr Claudia Kawas is searching for the secrets to living a longer and healthier life. Kawas and her team have been running a major study of ageing California residents for more than two decades. She… Audio
Pharmac responds to concerns about medication shortages
Pharmac director of operations Lisa Williams talks to Kathryn about the Covid 19 disrupted manufacturing and supply chain which means some commonly prescribed medications are scarce. This is affecting… Audio
Hurdles remain in place for teen on $470k life-saving drug
At 15, Bella Powell was told she had only two years to live if her CF went untreated. With nothing to lose, Bella, now 17, started taking a drug called Trikafta, and within hours she noticed results… Audio
Support for legalising cannabis going up in smoke - survey
Research NZ has been taking the pulse of the nation in the build-up to the election and its latest poll results show that support for legalising euthanasia remains steady but there has been a sizeable… Audio
Covid-19: New York ICU worker hosting livestream parties
Dr. Steven Winnett is a Nurse Anaethetist at a New York hospital who is on the front line caring for Covid-19 patients in an ICU. In his downtime, he brings smiles to faces by hosting massive… Audio
Campground blues: When a holiday turns into weeks of isolation
Steve and Jacqui Clark had to bunker down in Himatangi Beach Holiday Park after coming to New Zealand for a holiday and getting caught up in lockdown. However, they are about to leave the park and… Audio
The challenges of isolating in a holiday park during Covid-19
Steve and Jacqui Clark have lived in Brunei for the last four years, but returned to NZ for a holiday just before the country's Covid-19 restrictions kicked into gear. The couple are now holed up in a… Audio
David Clark on Pharmac, drugs and a life’s worth
Checkpoint presenter Lisa Owen interviews Health Minister David Clark on Pharmac's funding model, why life-prolonging drugs aren't being funded, and whether it's high time for an independent review… Video, Audio
Older people getting into cannabis
There's no stoner like an old stoner. The fastest growing group of cannabis users in the US are those aged over 50. The reasons given are various, with legalization taking a lot of the stigma away… Audio
NZ doesn't have access to world's best medicines, doctor says
Pharmac says out of 35 medicines funded in Australia but not in NZ, only three provide real, meaningful benefits. Cancer Society's Medical Director Chris Jackson says every oncologist he has spoken to… Video, Audio
Could a pill replace exercise?
Do you fancy living longer, having better sex, increasing your memory, and building muscle tone while burning fat?! With reputed benefits like these it's no wonder that the search is on for a… Audio
Turing pharmaceuticals backs down from dramatic price hike
The head of Turing pharmaceuticals has backed down from plans to dramatically raise the price of a 62-year-old drug used by AIDS patients. Peter Maybarduk works on public access to drugs issues with… Audio
American drug company backs down on sharp increase
The American drug company that faced a backlash after raising the price of a drug AIDS patients amongst others use by more than 5000% is now saying the increase won't be as steep. Audio
Medicine disposal 'a national disaster'
Kiwis are disposing of surplus pills in ways they shouldn't - and the impact on the environment may be far greater than we realise.
Testing How Blood Flow to the Brain is Regulated
A healthy volunteer is tested with drugs to study the two systems that regulate blood flow to the brain, with implications for treatment of stroke Audio