Dangerous Doses: A True Story of Cops, Counterfeiters, and the Contamination of America's Drug Supply

by Katherine Eban

Book Overview

In the tradition of the great investigative classics, Dangerous Doses exposes the dark side of America's pharmaceutical trade. Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system--where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness.

Katherine Eban's hard-hitting exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156030853
• ISBN13: 9780156030854
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A must read book!

Dangerous Doses is defintely a "must read" book. If you are on medication or have a loved one on medication you need to read about the realities of the drugs that are being prescribed.

A Must Read for Anyone who Cares about Drug Safety

As someone who has worked with pharmaceutical manufacturers for over 20 years, I never imagined how susceptible the drug supply chain was to counterfeiting. Ms. Eban has done an excellent job detailing the exploits of a handful of dedicated public servants who toiled unceasingly to get to the truth. It is a quick read, one that you won't want to put down. I learned something new each time I turned the page and, when I share the stories in this book to my friends and colleagues, everyone wants a copy. Well done!

A medical investigative thriller

If it's a medical investigative thriller - true life - which is needed, look no further than Katherine Eban's Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters Are Contaminating America's Drug Supply. Stolen, counterfeit and compromised medicines are making their way into a poorly regulated American distribution system, Eban maintains. Her exploration of investigations into drug counterfeiters makes for powerful first-hand reporting as she follows a team of dedicated investigators trying to stem the flow.

Great Summer Reading

This book is astounding. Told as a thriller, it shows why, unbelievably, your pharmacist cannot tell you where your prescription drugs have come from - they have no idea. One of many great reviews out there - this one in Salon.com - by Katharine Mieszkowski: "They call themselves the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and they hold meetings at Hooters. Their uniforms consist of black polo shirts emblazoned with a pack of horses flanking the Grim Reaper, who's wielding a scythe. One Horseman's name is Venema, which rhymes with "enema." But he prefers his code name: Ice Station Zebra. These dubious characters are the good guys in "Dangerous Doses: How Counterfeiters Are Contaminating America's Drug Supply," by Katherine Eban, an expose that wades into more rank Florida unseemliness than a Carl Hiaasen novel, and easily boasts three times the number of sleazebag villains... Eban mostly lets this stranger-than-fiction cast of characters tell the story, which makes it engaging, even though it's essentially about government failure. The real cause of the corruption of the drug supply isn't the money to be made. It's a weak regulatory system, which doesn't require complete proof of the route a drug takes from its manufacturer to the pharmacist. That opens the door for all kinds of shenanigans among the colorful, corrupt middlemen. The drug industry lobbyists say it would be unduly expensive to keep such records, and that they aren't necessary, even as Operation Stone Cold uncovers more and more stolen, fake and mishandled medicine. And the government continues to buy that argument, even after no lesser force than Gov. Jeb Bush convenes a grand jury to look into the matter. (What it turns up is horrifying to all involved.) ..."

An eye-opening expose of the underbelly of pharmaceuticals

Americans need to know that every time we enter the drug store, the current system of regulation allows for the possibility that the drugs we are purchasing are counterfeit or adulterated. Stored in individuals' laundry rooms, strip clubs and even trunks, the drugs that reach the public are not safe under the current system of regulation. Katherine Eban has written a riveting account of how greedy individuals have preyed upon the weakest of the weak who depend on these life-saving drugs for their very survival. Well-researched and thorough, this book provides a startling account of how greed can kill.