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About The People’s Pharmacy

Joe and Terry Graedon with film crew

For more than four decades, Joe and Terry Graedon have been teaching, writing, and broadcasting information to help people make informed decisions about their health.

This website provides insights not found anywhere else about the pros and cons of prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Visitors share stories about side effects, interactions, and generic drug complications that often haven’t yet reached the FDA.

You will discover details on home remedies, too: foods, herbs, and supplements that can ease the symptoms of common ailments. The People’s Pharmacy community of readers also reports valuable experiences about affordable alternative treatments that might help solve a problem without a prescription.

Our mission

Empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.

Who are the Graedons?

Joe Graedon at a microphone recording The People's Pharmacy radio show

Joe Graedon

  • Master of Science degree in pharmacology from the University of Michigan, 1971
  • Syndicated newspaper columnist, King Features Syndicate since 1978
  • Co-host of The People’s Pharmacy public radio program since 1981
  • Adjunct assistant professor, Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education, University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy at Chapel Hill since 1986
  • Founding member of the Society for Participatory Medicine
  • Co-editor of the Journal of Participatory Medicine
  • Founding member of Patient Advocacy Council and member of the Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Committee of the Duke University Health System from 2003 to 2011
  • Doctor of Humane Letters Honoris Causa from Long Island University in 2006 as “one of the country’s leading drug experts for the consumer”
  • Fellow in Pharmaceutical Sciences of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for “exceptional contribution to the communication of the rational use of pharmaceutical products and an understanding of health issues to the public” in 2005
  • Member of the Board of Visitors at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at Chapel Hill since 1989

Read more about Joe Graedon

Terry Graedon recording the radio show.

Terry Graedon

  • PhD in Anthropology from the University of Michigan, 1976
  • Syndicated newspaper columnist, King Features Syndicate since 1980
  • Postdoctoral fellow in Medical Anthropology, University of California, San Francisco, 1982-1983
  • Co-host of The People’s Pharmacy public radio program since 1984
  • Assistant professor, Duke University School of Nursing and adjunct assistant professor, Department of Anthropology, 1975-1979
  • Lecturer, medical anthropology, Duke University Department of Anthropology, 1987-1989
  • Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology, 2010
  • Founding member of the Society for Participatory Medicine
  • Co-editor of the Journal of Participatory Medicine
  • Founding member of Patient Advocacy Council and member of the Patient Safety and Clinical Quality Committee of the Duke University Health System from 2003 to 2010

Read more about Terry Graedon

Core Values and Beliefs

We respect people’s ability to make informed decisions about their health
We communicate and act with honesty and integrity
We strive to provide information in a clear, understandable, friendly and compelling manner
We are dedicated to a vision of the world in which individuals and institutions are committed to serving people fairly and with compassion and in which people learn from and support each other
Awards & Affiliations:


  • 2013 Bachrach Lecture for the American Association of Orthopedic Medicine
  • Members of the North Carolina Consortium of Natural Medicine and Public Health
  • 2003 Alvarez Award from American Medical Writers Association for “Excellence in Medical Communications”
  • Editorial advisors, Prevention magazine
  • Advisory Board Member of the American Botanical Council (Herbalgram)
  • Health Headliner of 1998 Award from America Talks Health for “superior contribution to the advancement of medicine and public health education”
  • Silver Award from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting for producing and hosting The People’s Pharmacy radio show on WUNC-FM in the Public Affairs Category, 1992
  • Consultant to the Federal Trade Commission on Non-Prescription Drug Advertising and Rule Making: 1978-1983
  • Medical Self-Care Award for excellence in writing and publishing in the area of medical self-care; the editors of Self-Care Magazine: 1976

Special Thanks

Will & Deni Media, Inc.
We would like to say a big “thank you!” for our great “Welcome to the People’s Pharmacy” video on our home page to long-time friends and exceptional photographers and videographers Will & Deni Media, Inc.
LoudNoises, LLC
Thank you to LoudNoises, a design & dev shop with a singular focus on delivering accelerated business growth. Their team is responsible for the tailor-made branding and development of this website.
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