logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2020
8m 21s

What if lifesaving prescriptions were af...

TED
About this episode

As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers unused medications to families who need them most -- plans to drive down prescription prices by recycling almost a billion dollars' worth of medications in the next five years. (This ambitious plan is a part of the Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.)

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Sunday Pick: Unsolicited Advice: How to handle layoffs with care | from Fixable
When an organization lays people off , those who remain are often left scrambling to find their footing – and hold other people up – in an environment that no longer feels stable. In the wake of ongoing tech layoffs and the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the public sec ... Show More
25m 56s
Yesterday
3 things I wish I knew when I was broke | Vivian Tu
Finance doesn't have to feel like a foreign language. Wall Street trader-turned-financial educator Vivian Tu helps millions of people make sense of money, breaking down complex concepts into everyday terms you can understand. She shares how she broke free from the stress of livin ... Show More
27m 55s
Mar 27
Why the world is still not built for women | Virginia Santy
Design consultant Virginia Santy set out to create an office space built specifically for women, flipping the script on the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways that workplaces and cities still fail them. The results were striking: greater productivity, deeper collaboration and an env ... Show More
15m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
You shouldn't have to choose between filling your prescriptions and paying bills | Kiah Williams
As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers u ... Show More
8m 21s
May 2022
You shouldn't have to choose between filling your prescriptions and paying bills | Kiah Williams
As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers u ... Show More
17m 9s
Aug 2022
You shouldn't have to choose between filling your prescriptions and paying bills | Kiah Williams
As prescription drug costs skyrocket in the US, thousands of people are forced to forgo lifesaving medications -- all while manufacturers and health care facilities systematically destroy perfectly good, surplus pills. Kiah Williams shares how SIRUM -- a nonprofit that delivers u ... Show More
14m 38s
Jun 2022
You shouldn't have to choose between filling your prescriptions and paying bills | Kiah Williams
There’s a new episode out of Body Stuff for subscribers of TED Audio Collective + on Apple Podcasts; subscribe there for early access to Body Stuff and more. Otherwise see you here next week for more episodes that bust the lies you’re told and sold about your health.And today, we ... Show More
17m 43s
Jan 2020
The pharmacists fighting high drug prices
If you had a rare disease and the only drug that could help you suddenly shot up in price how would you feel? What if your health service or insurer decided it was too expensive and they wouldn’t fund it any more? This is the problem facing some patients in the Netherlands.In ord ... Show More
23m 40s
Jul 2016
The Price of Life
It's hard to put a value on a human life. When you're well, perhaps you don't think about it. But if you're ill, getting access to the right drugs, whatever the cost, is a priority. But the NHS does not have a bottomless pit of money. And some medicines are judged too expensive t ... Show More
28m 7s
Nov 2023
How to Buy DRUGS: The Finances of the Pharmaceutical Industry with Hitha Palepu
On this week's episode of Networth and Chill, I'm joined by author and CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, Hitha Palepu to talk drug prices and the pharmaceutical industry. Drug prices are a hot topic these days, and it seems like the cost of life saving medications like insulin and ... Show More
41m 53s
Apr 2021
Why are drug prices so high? Investigating the outdated US patent system | Priti Krishtel
Between 2006 and 2016, the number of drug patents granted in the United States doubled -- but not because there was an explosion in invention or innovation. Drug companies have learned how to game the system, accumulating patents not for new medicines but for small changes to exi ... Show More
12m 48s