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Bad Pharma: How Medicine is Broken, and How We Can Fix it
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By Ben Goldacre
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 (166 Reviews)
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$15.09
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Availability:
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Available for immediate delivery.
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Publisher:
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Harper Collins
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Published:
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2001 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Ben Goldacre puts the $600 billion global pharmaceutical industry under the microscope. What he reveals is a fascinating, terrifying mess. Now updated with the latest government responses to the book. Doctors and patients need good scientific evidence to make informed decisions. But instead, companies run bad trials on their own drugs, which distort and exaggerate the benefits by design. When these trials produce unflattering results, the data is simply buried. All of this is perfectly legal. In fact, even government regulators withhold vitally important data from the people who need it most. Doctors and patient groups have stood by too, and failed to protect us. Instead, they take money and favors, in a world so fractured that medics and nurses are now educated by the drugs industry.The result: patients are harmed in huge numbers.Ben Goldacre is Britain's finest writer on the science behind medicine, and 'Bad Pharma' is the book that finally prompted Parliament to ask why all trial results aren't made publicly available - this edition has been updated with the latest news from the select committee hearings. Let the witty and indefatigable Goldacre show you how medicine went wrong, and what you can do to mend it.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 Well worth your time, essential if you work in drug development, February 05, 2016
By Ruben Faelens
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I work in drug development myself
The book really struck a nerve. It is well written and is tries to remain as light and accessible as possible. Well worth your time.
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 Must read for anyone before committing to medical drug treatment, but could be written much better, January 07, 2016
By A Customer
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First off, this is a must read for anyone interested in the shortcomings and pitfalls of drug marketing. Well documented, and a real eye opener. Overall makes you wonder if any drugs, especially still under patent, do what they claim. However he offers little insight about the quality of any particular drugs, a few special cases are mentioned, , it mostly is about how drugs are developed, tested and marketed. Not technical, though he does go over some of the basic testing methodology needed to understand his points.
The one thing I came away from with this is research any drug you've been prescribed before taking it blindly, even at your doctor's recommendation, assuming it's not an emergency situation, and be proactive with your doctor if you do not get the results expected, or you have side effects. There's almost always more than one treatment plan.
The author seems passionate and sincere about his subject. What I don't like about it is the writing style is preachy, a little sensational ("as we shall see in the next chapter" "horror story" etc. at least once every chapter) and redundant, the same info could have been presented much more concisely and convincingly in half the space or less. In fact if you just google and read various reviews of the book you'll get pretty much all the major points. Maybe he's trying to be careful to show the pharm companies in a bad light without getting sued- a real life concern, and/or really back up what he's saying. He notes citations for most if not all of his claims, though it's a little ironic he points to studies that show studies are not accurate, kind of like saying 82.6% of statistics shown as percentages are false.
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Excellent read., January 04, 2016
By gnsjr
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Fairly written, with pains taken to be accurate but not offensive. I am a nurse and so have seen some of the examples firsthand. I'd recommend this book for anyone, whether in healthcare or not.
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More objective than the title suggests, December 26, 2015
By vlo
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There's more than pharma industry to blame for misinformation in healthcare - well described issues and quite reasonable suggestions for improvement. Recommended to anyone who feels passionate about improving health outcomes.
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A+ to anyone, not just a book for medical professionals., December 22, 2015
By Wiktoria S
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I have given this book to my friends wife who though I was a fool when asking her at a party if she thought that the drug companies were doing more harm than good these days.
I think I wrote on the inscription saying that, you should turn off the netflix long enough. Your educations not over.
This book is an eye opener. A must read for any MD or conspiracy theorist. The drug companies do some strange things to push new products on the market. Very good read. Must buy.
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EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!, November 29, 2015
By Elizabeth Peppin
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EXCELLENT BOOK!!!! As a medical professional, I was afraid it was going to be conspiracy theory-laden...and was very pleasantly surprised. I'm using this book as a basis for a lecture on medical ethics to pre-med undergraduates, because there's a lot of helpful information in it to help them avoid bad information and minimize bias. Highly recommended.
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See all 166 Reviews.
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