What stories can pharmaceuticals tell?
A newly released podcast examines prescription drugs as lenses into larger narratives regarding disease, culture and profit.
From Xanax to Zoloft, each episode hones in on one commonly prescribed medication, examining why so much faith is put in "magic pills" and what drugs promise versus what they actually "fix."
'What's Health" host Dr. Joe Sirven speaks to Thomas Goetz, the science journalist behind "Drug Story" and who invites listeners to reevaluate their expectation of modern medicine and their own role in health care decisions
Then, the program delves into the promise and limitations of a preventative HIV medication: preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
Dr. Kevin Hatfield, a Seattle primary care and family medicine physician, has extensive experience working with and treating HIV patients explains.
Hatfield joins the program to discuss why a daily pill isn't realistic for everyone. He says long-acting injectable PrEP is opening doors for people dealing with busy schedules, stigma, privacy concerns and pill fatigue.
He also explains who PrEP is for, why many people underestimate the risk, and how access, misinformation and inequity continue to fuel the HIV epidemic.
"What's Health Got to Do with It?" is a talk program from WJCT in Jacksonville that examines the intersection of health care and daily life.
Click on the Listen button above to hear the program.
Copyright 2026 WJCT News 89.9
