In this special episode, Kate sits down with her daughter Audrey on the week of her 18th birthday. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by adulthood, or underwhelmed by the milestone, Audrey describes herself as simply “whelmed.”

They talk about what turning 18 actually means today: the excitement of voting for the first time, the freedom to walk into an over-18 venue (even if you choose not to), and the strange mix of independence and expectation that comes with being a young adult in 2026.

From Sydney Swans fandom to the pressures facing Gen Z, Audrey shares how her generation sees the world, and what they wish older generations understood about growing up today.

A thoughtful, funny conversation about coming of age, changing expectations, and the moment between childhood and whatever comes next.

In this episode of On the Mones, Kate reflects on what it means to grow up as a young woman today as her daughter Audrey turns eighteen and prepares to vote for the first time. Named after Kate’s grandmother, born in 1925, Audrey represents three generations of women who have lived through enormous social change.

From marriage bars that forced women out of the workforce, to the feminist movements that fought for economic independence and voting rights, the freedoms women have today were hard-won.

So why is social media suddenly romanticising a return to “traditional wives”?

Kate explores the rise of the tradwife movement, the nostalgic aesthetic that makes it appealing, and the historical realities often left out of the story — including economic dependence and limited choices for women.

Along the way she looks at:

• why the tradwife aesthetic spreads so easily on social media

• the connection between tradwife culture and anti-feminist online movements

• the surprising return of anti-suffrage rhetoric

• why Australia’s mandatory voting creates a very different political system

• and what women’s rights have to do with astronauts flying around the Moon.

There’s also a detour into hormone pharmacology, a satirical wellness advertisement for the revolutionary Whole Body RetoX™, and a reminder that sometimes nostalgia looks better from a distance.

Because the real achievement of the last century isn’t that women must work, or must stay home.

It’s that women get to choose.

This episode starts on a Sydney oval before sunrise.

Kate reflects on her weekly Wednesday run — the quiet rituals of turning up, the characters who share the track, the sociology of shared spaces, and the reminder that the ability to move your body is never something to take for granted.

From there, the conversation moves into medicine.

After watching The Pitt, Kate unpacks a common myth about morphine in palliative care — the persistent idea that opioids given at the end of life hasten death. Drawing on her experience in palliative care pharmacy, she explains how opioids are actually used to relieve pain and breathlessness, why addiction is not the issue people think it is, and how careful dosing can restore comfort and dignity for patients.

Finally, with winter approaching, Kate walks through the 2026 influenza vaccine rollout in Australia — explaining why flu vaccines change every year, why all vaccines are now trivalent, and how the different options (Influvac, Flucelvax, Fluzone High-Dose and FluMist) work.

Along the way, she explores the idea that healthcare decisions rarely affect just one person — whether it’s medication myths, palliative care, or vaccination — we’re all part of a much bigger chain.

Evidence-based medicine, midlife health, and a few observations from running laps in the dark.

Follow Kate for more no-nonsense health education at @prescribeorpass on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook.

In this special field-trip episode of On the Mones, pharmacist Kate Thomas heads to the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival in Sydney to explore one of the most fascinating corners of the modern wellness economy.

Between handmade pottery and beeswax candles are stalls offering:

• EMF harmonisers

• orgone energy devices

• pet psychics

• “structured” frequency water

• cannabinoid oils

• crystal healing

Some of it is beautiful.

Some of it is harmless fun.

And some of it makes some very ambitious claims about biology and physics.

In this episode we wander the aisles together and ask the question we always ask:

Prescribe… or Pass?

Along the way we unpack:

• the strange history of orgone energy and why scientists rejected it

• why structured water can’t store “molecular memory”

• what rouleaux formation actually means in real haematology

• the science behind β-caryophyllene and CB2 receptors

• and why the endocannabinoid system — a very real biological system — is so often misunderstood in wellness marketing

We also discuss new calls from the RACGP for national reform of medicinal cannabis prescribing, and use that as a springboard to explain how THC, CBD and the endocannabinoid system actually work in the body.

Because somewhere between laboratory research and Instagram captions…

the nuance often disappears.

And sometimes the best way to understand the wellness industry

is simply to walk through it.

Plus: crystals, a pet psychic, and possibly the most anatomically accurate granite sculpture you’ll ever see at a health expo.

Can yoga, Pilates, tai chi and breathwork actually help menopause symptoms — or are we all just stretching our way through the placebo effect?

In this first official Peri-odical Review, pharmacist Kate Thomas looks at the evidence behind mind-body exercise in perimenopause and menopause. We unpack what the research actually found, where these practices may genuinely help, and where wellness culture tends to get a little bit ahead of itself.

In this episode:

• whether yoga and similar practices improve menopause symptoms
• why the biggest benefits may be in mood, stress and wellbeing
• what the evidence says about hot flushes and physical symptoms
• why mind-body exercise is a support strategy, not a cure
• how sex and intimacy fit into the broader conversation about movement, connection and feeling at home in your body
• why doctors asking you to come back for results is not necessarily a scam
• the problem with direct-to-consumer “wellness” testing and health anxiety as a subscription service

This is a conversation about menopause, medicine, wellness, evidence, and the blurry space in between.

So roll out the mat if you want to.

Or leave it in the corner and go for a walk in the bush instead.

Because you are not doing menopause wrong.

In this episode of On the ’Mones, Kate shares a recording from a special event with women from a women’s shelter.

The day began with breathwork and mindfulness overlooking the ocean — a moment to pause, breathe and arrive. For some of the women attending, simply leaving the shelter and coming to the event took enormous courage.

Kate then spoke about hormones, perimenopause and what is actually happening in women’s bodies during midlife. From estrogen, progesterone and testosterone to sleep, stress and strength training, this conversation explores the biology behind the changes many women experience — and why understanding our bodies can be empowering.

This episode begins with a short guided breathing exercise recorded by the water before moving into part of the talk.

Along the way, Kate reflects on the power of knowledge, community and the reminder that sometimes there is less separating our lives than we realise.

If you’ve ever cried at an email, an advertisement… or a rescue dog choosing its human on Instagram — this episode is for you.

In this episode of On the ’Mones, Kate explores a word many women recognise instantly: difficult.

Recently Australian activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame was described publicly as “difficult” after speaking out politically. Whether or not you agree with her views, the label landed because women everywhere know that word — the one that appears when women stop being agreeable.

Kate reflects on her own experience navigating leadership, advocacy and midlife reinvention — including the moment she rage-quit a senior hospital pharmacy leadership role at 45. Was she difficult… or simply done?

Alongside this reflection, Kate answers listener questions from around the world about perimenopause and menopause, including:

• Anxiety, rage and crying at emails in your 40s — hormones or not coping?

• Painful sex and vaginal dryness — is that perimenopause?

• Why weight gain around the middle happens even when diet and exercise haven’t changed

• Falling asleep easily but waking at 3am wired

Kate explains the biology of perimenopause, including how fluctuating estrogen affects neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and GABA — and why life in your 40s can suddenly feel harder than it used to.

She also breaks down a new non-hormonal treatment for menopausal hot flushes, Veoza (fezolinetant) — how it works in the brain, what the evidence shows, and where it fits alongside hormone therapy.

Because menopause doesn’t care what passport you hold.

And sometimes being called difficult simply means you’ve stopped being convenient.

Follow Kate on social media:

TikTok / Instagram / Facebook @prescribeorpass

LinkedIn Kate Thomas – MedGov

Pharmacist Kate Thomas interviews Dr Sarah Farrell, GP and principal of Sydney Women’s Wellness, about two major midlife health topics: breast awareness and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM).

We break down:

• What “breast awareness” means today

• How breast self-exams differ from formal breast cancer screening

• When to see your GP about a breast lump

• Breast density and mammograms

• Why midlife breast changes can feel alarming

We also explore genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), including:

• Vaginal dryness in menopause

• Pain with sex

• Recurrent UTIs after menopause

• Bladder symptoms and estrogen decline

• Why GSM is common but under-treated

We discuss the full treatment ladder:

• Vaginal moisturisers vs lubricants

• Vaginal estrogen

• Prasterone

• When hormonal treatment is appropriate

• Where non-hormonal options like hyaluronic acid vaginal preparations may fit

This evidence-based conversation helps women understand the difference between normal hormonal changes and symptoms that need review — without panic or misinformation.

If you’re searching for answers about menopause, vaginal dryness, breast checks, or GSM treatment options, this episode provides practical, medically grounded guidance.