Forbidden Knowledge : A Self-Advocate's Guide to Managing your Prescription Drugs

Terence Young exposes the pharmaceutical industry secrets and cultural myths that thwart our safe use of prescription drugs.… Everyone should read it before their next visit to a doctor. — DR. NANCY OLIVIERI, MD, physician and professor When it comes to drug safety, Big Pharma holds all the power, and it’s time for patients to take it back. Tens of millions of patients in North America take prescription drugs, but the safety of these drugs is often based on medical myths. We are led to believe that if a medication isn’t safe, the government would never allow it on the market and that doctors would never prescribe a drug that isn’t proven effective. Who controls these narratives? And do they always have the best interests of patients in mind? In an in-depth study of the enormous influence the pharmaceutical industry has over our health, drug safety advocate Terence Young explores how those with the most to gain financially are also those who wield all the power in health care — and withhold the knowledge that is critical to the safety of patients. Forbidden Knowledge reveals the truth you need to know about prescription drugs and what to do about it. It will empower you to partner with your doctor to talk openly and plainly about medications to help avoid serious adverse drug reactions. This is your survival guide to Big Pharma.