#WIALT (What I Am Listening to) — The Aural Apothecary (Episode 8.9)
I’ll be honest - I came to this one with modest expectations. A pharmacy podcast, a professor, an academic book. But within minutes, I was genuinely gripped, and more than a little challenged.
In this episode of The Aural Apothecary, hosts Jamie, Gimmo and STC sit down with Professor Nick Barber - pharmacist, academic and author of “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, but because taking medicines is far more complicated than we pretend.
Nick argues that healthcare systems routinely overestimate what medicines can achieve, while simultaneously underestimating how hard they are to use properly. The discussion spans adherence, side effects, polypharmacy and patient behaviour - and it is genuinely uncomfortable in the best possible way.
What struck me most was the connection to my own NMS practice. When I call a patient, after introducing myself and explaining why I’m calling, I always open with: “How are you getting on with your medicine?” It is a simple question, but it creates space for an honest answer. Nick’s thinking validates exactly why that matters.
The episode also references Medichec - a tool for assessing anticholinergic burden and risks including QTc prolongation, hyponatraemia, bleeding, dizziness, drowsiness and constipation - well worth bookmarking.
If you work in pharmacy, prescribing or medicines optimisation, this one is for you.
Listen here
- Spreaker: 8.9 How to take Drugs with Professor Nick Barber
- Spotify: The Aural Apothecary
- Apple Podcasts: The Aural Apothecary
- Website: The Aural Apothecary
Originally shared on LinkedIn; the source gives an approximate month of May 2026.
#WIALT #podcast #medicines-optimisation #pharmacy #NMS #patient-safety #pharmacist