Bad ethics one pill at a time

A scary look at our broken medical system that is driven by profits by pharmaceutical companies rather them patient care. Only trials supporting the desired outcome by the company get polished and the negative ones are buried which leads doctors who try to do the right thing for their patience prescribing treatments on faulty data that leads to wasted money on treatments and unwarranted pain, suffering, and death of patients. Pharma reps provide biased training and perks including posh seminar troops I. Desired locals with luxury food and drinks tainting doctor's decisions. Not only a wake up call about our broken medical system but a cautionary story of bad strategic decisions being made based on biased data spoon feed by self interested unscrupulous stakeholders desiring a certain direction that can plaque any industry.

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2 people found this helpful

A must read for health professionals

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes

What other book might you compare Bad Pharma to and why?

Anatomy of an Epidemic. Both provide invaluable information about pharmaceuticals, both are scrupulously researched

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Cowley – was your favorite?

Like most people, I assumed that the process by which prescriptions meds were approved met the highest of scientific standards. I am a researcher by training and I understand that while meeting such standards is difficult, it isn't optional. Goldacre's review of the process is a bit dramatic in tone, but his facts are verifiable and his case is quite credible. As a psychologist, this information is particularly valuable to me. Most of my clients take some kind of medication, and all assume that these meds are proven safe and effective. The more I know about the efficacy and safety of medications, the better able I am to work with my clients and their doctors (many of whom ALSO assume all meds are safe and effective, compliments of the FDA)

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10 people found this helpful

Detailed explanation of manipulation

Great "A-Z" explanation of the methods used to manipulate medicine to provide the basis for "drugs" to be the favored answer. The author is very thorough in describing the methods used to control and manipulate the medical narrative. The general public is taught to "ask your doctor" and the doctors are in turn manipulated to believe that the "evidenced based" information they are being fed (pun intended) is legit.

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eye opening

Shocking story of dishonest behavior in the drug industry, with the complicity of the medical profession and regulators.

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1 person found this helpful

Crucial information; outstanding narration

Full of vital information for Healthcare professionals and patients. Narration conveyed the sense of urgency and call to action required for a book like this. Brilliantly done!

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1 person found this helpful

Must read for doctors and policy makers

Much of what is synthesized here a physician would already know but there will be some new stuff for most readers to consider. This is not a new book but very few of the issues contained in it have been addressed, this is still very pressing.

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2 people found this helpful

Should be required reading for med students

Maybe one of the most important chronicles of regulatory and academic capture by late stage capitalism and its corrupting influence on science. Dr Goldacre goes at length to observe and describe the descent into for profit medical scientism which destroys science for generations to come.

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1 person found this helpful

Very Informative

Would you consider the audio edition of Bad Pharma to be better than the print version?

Yes because the book at times was very technical and hard to follow. Having someone reading it made it more enjoyable in my opinion.

What did you like best about this story?

Just the way Big Pharma was exposed and the author actually offered solutions to the problems he was proposing, not just listing or complaining about them

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Cowley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this one was the first and he has a nice clear smooth voice

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Making A Killing" What People Need To Know About Big Pharma

Any additional comments?

The book is designed for health care professionals and I think they would have enjoyed it even more due to working in that industry. It was very informative, dry at times. The 2nd half of the book was much more entertaining than the first part. It's not an exciting read but every, health care professional and patient should read and understand how Big Pharma works.

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Read this book before you prescribe again

What did you love best about Bad Pharma?

The author pulls down the curtain of deception that has been held before our eyes by the drug makers. Here in one volume, the author tells the whole story of what they are really up to. There is no step in the process of bringing a drug to market that has not been corrupted. Step by step, the author systematically and thoroughly goes through all of the ways drug development and sales are adversely impacted by the drug industry.Very early in the book, I came realize that, because the medical literature is so corrupted, physicians (such as myself) do not have a true understand about the medicines we prescribe. We don't know if medicines are effective and we don't know if the cause more harm than good. Decades of research are called into question by the author. His conclusions are persuasive and kind of depressing. Much of what we think we know about the medicines on the market today is based on incomplete set of data leaving patients and their doctors in the dark about what this stuff is good for. The ray of hope here is that the author provides concrete recommendations to correct the problems he has discovered. After each major section of the book, he lists what he would do to fix this broken system. Example, to prevent publication bias. All drug studies should be registered and should be published. negative studies provide just as much data positive studies.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bad Pharma?

The author exposes the problems of drug research that does not get published if the findings show the drug fails to work or produces adverse events.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book may make you depressed at first but then you get angry

Any additional comments?

This book should be a included in the core curriculum at every medical school in the world. Every doctor in training should know what the drug makers are up to and that they need to be put on guard. Every doctor who is already in practice should read it too. I have already suggested it no many colleagues.

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9 people found this helpful

eye opening!

in light of the quick rush to use EUA for covid, it appears all the ground work was already laid. incredibly enlightening!

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