Top 5 Over The Counter Episodes From 2025

With the launch of new podcasts in 2025, the Over The Counter podcast had some of the most viewed episodes this year. Technology, workforce shortages, pain management, and pharmacy benefit managers were among the most listened-to topics.

Check out the top 5 podcasts from 2025.

Team-Based Care Crucial in Addressing Workforce Shortages

In a 2025 Drug Topics podcast, Jonathan Watanabe, PharmD, MS, PhD, BCGP, emphasized that team-based care is vital to addressing primary care shortages affecting 75 million Americans. By integrating pharmacists, physicians, and other providers into collaborative teams, the health care system can alleviate workforce strain and improve patient outcomes. Watanabe warned that although pharmacists took on heroic clinical roles recently, the resulting burnout is unsustainable without structural support. He advocates for expanded collaborative practice agreements and legislative reform to ensure pharmacists are fairly compensated. Ultimately, moving toward a team-based model is a necessary evolution to meet population needs and sustain the pharmacy profession.

The Current, Future Roles of AI within the Pharmacy Profession

In a February 2025 interview, Scott Nelson, PharmD, MS, discusses the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in pharmacy. Currently, AI streamlines backend operations like drug discovery, inventory management, and purchasing. In clinical settings, it enhances decision-support tools by identifying potential adverse drug events and providing context for therapeutic alerts. By automating menial, administrative tasks, AI can reduce pharmacist burnout and free up time for high-value patient interactions. Rather than replacing providers, AI serves as a catalyst for a more efficient, patient-centered profession, provided it is thoughtfully integrated into health systems.

“I really hope that AI can humanize care again and address some significant issues like burnout and just bring back that human element into health care that it feels like we've lost over the years,” he said.

How LucyRx is Changing the Traditional PBM Model

In an April 2025 interview, David Blair, CEO of LucyRx, highlights how his company is disrupting the traditional pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) model to address the "broken" prescription care system. Traditional PBMs often contribute to rising costs through complex red tape and a lack of transparency, leading many patients—including 42% of newly diagnosed cancer patients—to exhaust their life savings. LucyRx aims to illuminate more cost-effective paths by prioritizing transparency and empowering pharmacists. By bypassing traditional industry hurdles and focusing on direct, value-based outcomes, the model seeks to make life-saving treatments affordable for both employers and patients, ultimately restoring sustainability to the pharmacy benefits landscape.

Demystifying PBMs, Their Role in the Drug Supply Chain

In a May 2025 podcast, Antonio Ciaccia, president of 3 Axis Advisors, demystified the contentious role of PBMs. Originally designed as cost-saving intermediaries, PBMs have become powerful middlemen accused of exploitative practices like spread pricing—the gap between what they pay pharmacies and what they charge clients. Ciaccia explains that the relationship between PBMs and pharmacists is inherently full of friction. Although PBMs claim to save money, data-driven investigations (notably in Ohio) revealed they often arbitrage millions from state programs. Ultimately, Ciaccia argues that reform requires a combination of legislation, litigation, and market-based solutions to ensure transparency and fairness in the drug supply chain.

What Does the Future of Pain Medicine Look Like?

In a March 2025 interview, Chris Robinson, MD, PhD, discusses the future of pain medicine, highlighting a shift toward nonpharmacological interventions due to a historical lack of new medications. Despite the 2025 approval of suzetrigine—the first new pain drug class in 26 years—Robinson emphasizes that technology, including artificial intelligence and psychedelics, will play a larger role in mitigating pain. He advocates for realistic expectations, noting that while technology can manage pain. Additionally, pharmacists are increasingly utilizing complementary treatments like turmeric and caffeine to enhance relief while avoiding opioid escalation.

“Someday, I would love to cure pain, but I think we have to understand what is pain, why it's there, and not have our hopes up that we think we can get 100% pain relief,” Robinson said. “Our bodies do degenerate, and we have to understand that. My goal, and especially with these newer technologies, is to use it to mitigate pain in the present moment.”