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March 6, 2013 Many doctors and patients expect too much from prescription opioids as pain relievers, some physicians say. These expectations need to be reined in to curtail drug abuse and overdoses that claim more than 16,000 lives a year in the U.S., they say.

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November 27, 2012 Some consumers of the bitter citrus fruit may need to rethink their morning routine. Chemicals in grapefruit can interfere with the body's ability to to clear certain drugs. The number of affected medicines has jumped in recent years. Pharmacists are calling for greater grapefruit awareness among physicians and patients alike.

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April 10, 2012 KQED Dozens of states electronically track the prescriptions for powerful narcotics like Vicodin and OxyContin to root out pill-shopping patients and unscrupulous doctors. But in California, a relentless budget crisis is threatening that system and causing deep concern among doctors and law enforcement.

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April 6, 2012 The agency has long warned Americans about the dangers of buying medicines online from unverified foreign pharmacies. But an economic analysis suggests that while there's good reason for the safety warnings, not all foreign pharmacies should be lumped together.

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April 5, 2012 An analysis from The Associated Press, based on data from the Drug Enforcement Agency, shows how sales of oxycodone and hydrocodone have ballooned over a decade.

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April 4, 2012 Seniors are traditionally the biggest consumers of prescription drugs, but they aren't using as many. Greater use of generics also played a role in last year's slow growth.

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April 2, 2012 Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions provide prescription drug benefit services to more than 1 in 3 Americans. The FTC says their union won't stifle competition in the industry, but community pharmacy groups are furious.

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January 25, 2012 In the first hour of Talk of the Nation, the political junkie looks ahead to the Florida primary and recaps the week in politics. In the second hour, the future of U.S. space exploration and Florida's Space Coast, and examining the problem of prescription drug abuse.

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September 27, 2011 In the first hour of Talk of the Nation, what has happened to political mobilization on the left, and an update on Somalia. In the second hour, preventing prescription drug overdoses, and why everyone needs a coach.

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April 25, 2011 Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs make SSRI antidepressants less effective, which may help account for the fact that the widely used antidepressants don't help many people.

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September 11, 2009 On today's Planet Money, co-pay assistance cards make brand name drugs cheaper at the cash register, but they may be driving up health insurance premiums.

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