About this episode

Meg Marie O’Rourke discusses the issues surrounding Big Pharma, high prescription drug prices, and the importance of being an informed healthcare advocate.

Why are prescription drug prices so high, and how can patients avoid feeling trapped in a cycle of medications? In this episode of The Harmony with Food Show, registered dietitian and functional nutritionist Meg Marie O’Rourke examines the business of Big Pharma, the rising cost of prescription drugs, and the importance of becoming your own healthcare advocate.Meg explores widely publicized cases involving Daraprim and the EpiPen, including dramatic price increases that placed essential medications further out of reach for many patients. She also discusses pharmaceutical monopolies, political connections, hospital contracts, aggressive marketing practices, and the financial incentives that can influence how medications are priced and prescribed. The episode also looks at the human consequences of overprescribing, including medication dependence, opioid addiction, side effects, and the way one prescription can sometimes lead to another. Meg explains why patients should understand what they are taking, ask whether every medication is still necessary, and speak openly with their doctors and pharmacists about generic options, patient-assistance programs, lifestyle changes, and…

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