By Barbara Petty

Joe and Terry Graedon

Joe and Terry Graedon
One has read stories about identical twins being in sync with one another. They have the ability to sense each other’s mood, feel each other’s pains, and even finish each other’s sentences. Not so surprising given they have such similar genetic make-up.

It’s rare to find two people, a married couple in fact, who seem to be just as simpatico with one another as a set of twins. But such is the case with Joe and Terry Graedon, creators of The People’s Pharmacy®, and trendsetters for alternative therapy options. Over lunch, I had the good fortune to see these two in action – finishing each other’s sentences, helping one another discuss their history and future, even sharing their plates. I am an NPR junkie, but I had not heard of Joe and Terry until moving to North Carolina in 1996. As a Fifty Pluser, I am one of the millions of baby boomers who have decided to take charge of my own healthcare. Gone are the days where one goes to the doctor and doesn’t ask questions and takes whatever medications one is given without hesitation. When I first heard The People’s Pharmacy, it was music to my ears. Here were two educated, articulate individuals who touted the “Educate Yourself” school of heath care.

Joe and Terry Graedon

Even their degrees are compatible, as if some strange hand of fate had been adjusting their paths from the start. Joe studied pharmacology and received his master’s degree at the University of Michigan. Terry completed her doctoral degree at the same school, which is where they met and married. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in medical anthropology at the University of California in San Francisco. Joe brings the study of pharmacology to their team; while Terry’s experience with anthropology has also been important in understanding that someone’s belief system is key to helping him or her deal with their own health (if you don’t believe something is going to work, it probably won’t). Thus, the two are able to use each other’s gifts and knowledge as they work together daily on the radio program, the syndicated newspaper column and various speaking engagements.

But what transpired in their lives to lead them down this path? “We call it the Aunt Evelyn phenomenon,” explains Joe. “When my Aunt handed me a white pill that her doctor had given her, and asked me if she should take it, I knew there was something amiss with our medical system.”

There was also a quote by Dr. Allen Roses, an academic geneticist from Duke University and now the worldwide vice-president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that got Joe’s attention. “Dr. Roses said that about 90% of all medicines only work in about 30% of individuals,” explained Joe.

And as fate would have it (there’s that word again) Joe found himself with time to write the first version of The Peoples Pharmacy while they were in Mexico and Terry was doing research for her dissertation.

“When the book came out, it shook up the medical profession,” says Joe. “The attitude of doctors and pharmacists was that a little knowledge is a scary thing – although that has changed over the years.” Their goal has always been to de-mystify health care, to provide in layman’s terms information so that people can make informed decisions about their health.

And apparently, people have responded. Thirteen revisions later, The Peoples Pharmacy has become a staple for many, many, individuals, but primarily the Baby Boomers. “The Boomers are going to be our best advocates for alternative/ integrative/comparative medicines,” Terry adds.

It is Joe and Terry’s own good health that allows them to keep up their pace, and to make plans for future projects. One of their biggest goals is to change health policies and to change the culture of medicine. “The Internet had the potential to radically change doctor/ patient relationships,” says Joe. And, one way in which we could do that is to have an on-line “surveillance reporting” alert system. Joe went on to explain that other countries have monitoring systems in place while the US lags behind.

Joe and Terry are both eager to say that medications are oftentimes helpful, and lifesaving in certain instances. But if you have a condition that may be treated homeopathically, it could be worth considering. Says Terry, “If it might help, won’t hurt, and is affordable, maybe you should try it.”