Prescription for Greed

At last here is a book of fiction that allows us to peer into the inner sanctum of academic medicine with a clear view of the men and women who shape the future of medicine by the strength of weakness of their character. Dr Vance Connelly, leader in medicine and cardiology, guides the reader through the lives of three of his proteges -- all of whom are seduced to take dramatically different paths in their medical professions. Through their eyes we see the deterioration of medicine and medical research by the interests of big business, the disintegration of the regulatory power of the Federal Drug Administration by hungry politicians, the conflicted judgement of health policymakers, the misguided attacks on the practice of medicine by lawyers, and the ethically bold struggle to reveal the truth of it all. This is a compelling work that takes the reader to the front line of corruption in American medicine in a manner that will force the close examination of clinical trials for drugs and medical devices, and of the role and cost of bringing these new biotechnologies to the marketplace too soon. This is a 'must-read' for every consumer of health care services in the United States.