TEC: Evidence Based Therapeutics
Therapeutics Education Collaboration
Medication Mythbusters – Home of the Best Science (BS) Medicine Podcast

The BS Medicine Podcast episodes are presented by James McCormack and Michael Allan. We try to promote healthy skepticism and critical thinking and most of the podcasts are presented in a case-based approach. We also try to inject some humour into the whole process to make the learning more interesting. Occasionally we have great guests like Mike Kolber, Tina Korownyk and Bruce Arroll help us out.

Most podcast episodes are available for free until they become archived after about 1-2 months. Every 4th episode or so is a “New Studies You Need to Know About” podcast and these will only be available to our Premium Podcast members. Premium members will also be able to listen to all archived episodes since episode #1.

APOLOGIES FOR THE WEBSITE PROBLEMS

Hi Everyone – our website had not been updated in a number of years and over the last few months we decided to upgrade the website to improve functionality. Two weeks ago we launched the revised site and despite a lot of testing etc before launch it has not functioned well at all. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES. For that reason we have, for the time being, reverted back to the old site and hopefully things will function the way they did previously.

Thanks to everyone who let us know of the issues and for everyone’s patience.

James

PS – I would like to blame Mike but he had nothing to do with this problem 🙂 

Episode 304: Lipid guidelines done by primary care clinicians – FINALLY

In episode 304, Mike and James describe the Simplified Lipid Guidelines, a document developed primarily by primary care clinicians that puts common sense at the forefront. Importantly, instead of thresholds for treatment we talk about thresholds for discussions – a fundamentally big difference.

Show notes

Simplified lipid guidelines – Prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in primary care

Canadian Family Physician 2015;61:857-67

Episode 303: PREMIUM – Blood pressure, back pain, and chlamydia

In episode 303, James and Mike finally get back into PREMIUM mode. We discuss two new hypertension meta-analyses that help clarify (at least somewhat) what we can be discussing with patients. In addition, we discuss a great new study on acute back pain and whether or not we should add a narcotic or a muscle relaxant and one study on what to use for chlamydia. You can’t get any more PREMIUM than that.

Show notes

1) Effect of antihypertensive treatment at different blood pressure levels in patients with diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analyses

BMJ 2016;352:i717

2) Effects of blood pressure lowering on outcome incidence in hypertension: 7. Effects of more vs. less intensive blood pressure lowering and different achieved blood pressure levels – updated overview and meta-analyses of randomized trials

Journal of Hypertension 2016, 34:000–000 

3) Naproxen With Cyclobenzaprine, Oxycodone/Acetaminophen, or Placebo for Treating Acute Low Back Pain

JAMA 2015;314:1572-80

4) Azithromycin versus Doxycycline for Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection 

N Engl J Med 2015;373:2512-21

Episode 302: The Top 20 Medications – PART III

In episode 302, James, Mike, Tina and Mike talk about the drugs that didn’t make their top 20 list of post-apocalyptic medications. You might be surprised. At the end of this we would love your feedback to see if you think we got the list right.

Episode 301: The Top 20 Medications – PART II

In episode 301, James, Mike, Tina and Mike continue on their merry way after surviving Armageddon and discuss the last 10 (actually 11) medications in their top 20 essential medications list.

Episode 300: The Top 20 Medications

In episode 300, James, Mike, Tina and Mike have survived an apocalyptic event and they have been left with clean water, a proper sewer system, lots of good food but NO MEDICATIONS. Their task is to choose only 20 medications they can use for the foreseeable future.  Tune in to find out what they are – you may be shocked, amazed and astounded.

Episode 299: Nasal irrigations for rhinosinusitis – take the evidence with a pinch of salt

In episode 299, James and Mike get back to the podcast business with the scintillating topic of nasal saline irrigation for rhinosinusitis. We find that for acute symptoms, the evidence doesn’t support a benefit but there may be some value for chronic rhinosinusitis. At the end of the podcast Mike takes the evidence to heart goes home and sticks his head in his pool and breaths in deeply. 

Show notes

Coming soon

Episode 298: Anti-CCP: A truly helpful Rheumatoid Arthritis lab test?

In episode 298, Mike, James and Tina discuss the evidence and use of Anti-CCP as a test for adult rheumatoid arthritis. We find that this test may be more useful than rheumatoid factor when it comes to figuring out if a patient has rheumatoid arthritis.

Show notes

1) Tools for Practice

Anti-CCP: A truly helpful Rheumatoid Arthritis lab test? 

2) Likelihood values and what do they mean – Diagnosis in primary care: probabilistic reasoning

J Prim Health Care 2012;4:166-73

Episode 297: Spinning the evidence around the Epley maneuver

In episode 297, Mike, James and Tina chat about a treatment that takes 2-5 minutes and has an NNT of 2-3 – it doesn’t get much better than that. While there isn’t a lot of evidence around the Epley maneuver for benign paroxysmal vertigo, what there is is fairly impressive – in fact it made our heads spin.

Show notes

Evaluating the Epley maneuver

Can Fam Phy 2015;61:779

See List of All Podcast Episodes

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The 2026 MEME Conference – May 8-9, 2026

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From the clinicians who brought you the Best Science Medicine Course and the Meds Conference, as well as the BS Medicine Podcast and Tools for Practice

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BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

THE NUTRITION PROPOSITION BOOK

Check it out at nutritionproposition.com and think about picking up a copy on Amazon. All the evidence you ever wanted about nutrition and the only nutrition book that won’t tell you what to eat.

 

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