Over Dose: The Case Against the Drug Companies: Prescription Drugs, Side Effects, and Your Health - Hardcover

Cohen, Jay S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1585421235 ISBN 13: 9781585421237

Publisher: Tarcher, 2001

Synopsis

An associate professor of Family Preventative Medicine takes on the pharmaceutical industry, arguing that the "acceptable" side affects of many drugs are in fact unnecessary and dangerous. 25,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Jay S. Cohen, M.D., is an associate professor of Family and Preventative Medicine and of Psychiatry at the University of California in San Diego.

Reviews

Replete with information supported by recognized and reliable sources, this expos‚-cum-health guide should be read by anyone taking prescription medication. Cohen, an associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego, focuses on the practice of "standard dosing," i.e., the same number of milligrams prescribed for all patients; his articles about dosage have appeared in the New York Times and Newsweek. Asserting that different ages and conditions can affect how a drug is metabolized, and thus its effectiveness, Cohen advises to "Start Low, Go Slow." Lower doses often prove just as effective, and higher doses in the wrong person can be deadly. The chapters proceed logically, divided by families of drugs and, later, by FDA regulations, kickbacks to doctors from pharmaceutical companies, ghostwritten articles commissioned by pharmaceutical companies and attributed to independent doctors in trusted medical journals. Most importantly, Cohen discusses at length deadly and other irreversible side effects of new drugs, suggesting that warnings on drug packages are incomplete. He describes the pharmaceutical companies' practice of luring doctors to exotic weekend-long retreats for a two-hour symposium about a new product. Finally, Cohen gives insight into the doctor's Bible: The Physician's Desk Reference. Clear, easy narrative and anecdotal evidence makes this an accessible, albeit disturbing, read. This medical-biz gadfly delivers an invaluable resource for doctors and patients alike. (Oct. 15)Forecast: Given its nearly limitless potential audience, and with a national author tour kicked off by an appearance on the radio talk show People's Pharmacy, prominent display in stores could make sales take off.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Only about 1 in 20 drug side effects are reported, Cohen says, and drug companies, the FDA, and most physicians pay little attention to them. When a new drug is approved, its manufacturer usually suggests a high dosage to obtain desired results quickly and maximize the company's profits. Drug package inserts, which give scientific and regulatory information, generally don't discuss lower doses, which often bring the same results without risking as many side effects, and The Physician's Desk Reference, often seen as a reliable information source, is a drug-industry product that pretty much reprints the inserts. Cohen's aim isn't to encourage avoiding popular drugs but to draw attention to effective lower doses and avoid side effects. Arguing that drug companies control much of the medical literature and slant research reports and accounts of side effects, he makes a convincing case for establishing a neutral drug safety board to prevent harmful situations fostered by industry disingenuousness. A thorough, solidly based book that deserves to be widely read by medical professionals and the lay public. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Medications don't cause side effects their dosages do. That is the message sent by Cohen, a psychiatrist and professor of family medicine, in this repetitive but necessary expos of drug companies' marketing practices, physicians' prescribing behavior, and the inadequacy of dosing information in the Physicians' Desk Reference. Cohen argues that most adverse effects could be eliminated if doctors tailored a drug's dosage to an individual, but because manufacturers want to obtain approval for new drugs as quickly as possible, they do not perform adequate testing to determine the lowest effective amount. This can cause doctors to use a "one size fits all" mentality and prescribe like dosages for all patients. Cohen presents a plethora of practical information, including lower effective dosage recommendations for 53 top-selling drugs and a questionnaire for patients to determine how sensitive they are to medication. Numerous case studies, quotations from prominent researchers, and references support his premise that doctors should usually "start slow, go slow," and always individualize the dosage for each patient. Highly recommended for public and medical libraries. Natalie Kupferberg, Biological Sciences/ Pharmacy Lib., Ohio State Univ., Columbus
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Tarcher
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1585421235
• ISBN 13: 9781585421237
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 318