The Drugs Don't Work (Paperback)

Mike Catchpole

ISBN 10: 0241969190 / ISBN 13: 9780241969199

Published by Penguin Books Ltd, London, 2013

About this Item

Paperback. An Inconvenient Truth for health - the shocking crisis in antibioticsThis is a story that affects us all- our friends, our family and our children. Antibiotics add, on average, 20 years to everyone's lives. Since the manufacture of penicillin in 1943, for over 70 years we have survived extraordinary operations and life-threatening infections. We are so familiar with these wonder drugs that we take them for granted. The truth is that we have been abusing them- as patients; as doctors; as travellers; in our food.No new class of antibiotic has been discovered for 26 years and the bugs are fighting back. If we do not take action now, in a few decades we may start dying from the most commonplace of ailments that can today be treated easily. This book is vital in raising awareness for the future health of our children and our grandchildren. Antibiotics add, on average, twenty years to our lives. For over seventy years, since the manufacture of penicillin in 1943, we have survived extraordinary operations and life-threatening infections. We are so familiar with these wonder drugs that we take them for granted. This book deals with this topic. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780241969199

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Drugs Don't Work (Paperback)
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd, London
• Publication Date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0241969190
• ISBN 13: 9780241969199
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

"If we fail to act, we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again." (David Cameron, Prime Minister) Antibiotics add, on average, 20 years to our lives. For more than 70 years, since the manufacture of penicillin in 1943, we have survived extraordinary operations and life-threatening infections. We are so familiar with these wonder drugs that we take them for granted. The truth is that we have been abusing them: as patients, as doctors, as travelers, in our food. No new class of antibacterial has been discovered for 26 years, and the bugs are fighting back. If we do not take responsibility now, in a few decades we may start dying from the most commonplace of operations and ailments that can today be treated easily. This short book, which will be enjoyed by readers of An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore and Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre, will be the subject of a TEDex talk given by Professor Dame Sally Davies at the Royal Albert Hall.

About the Author

Professor Dame Sally Davies is the Chief Medical Officer for England. She is a hematologist with specialist research interest in sickle cell disease. In her advisory post she guides government decisions on diverse subjects such as superbugs, drug trials, and obesity. She developed the National Institute for Health Research in 2006 with a budget of £1 billion. She is an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College. Dr Jonathan Grant is a Principal Research Fellow and former President at RAND Europe, a not-for-profit public policy research institute. His main research interests are on health R&D policy and the use of research and evidence in policymaking. He was formerly Head of Policy at The Wellcome Trust. He received his PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of London, and his B.Sc. (Econ) from the London School of Economics. Professor Mike Catchpole is an internationally recognized expert in infectious diseases and the Director of Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control at Public Health England. He has coordinated many national infectious disease outbreak investigations and is an advisor to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. He is also a visiting professor at Imperial College.