medical-economics-company

I got this book several months ago and I as a orthopaedist,who uses nsaid, and antibiothics, must see what about other drugs my patients are taken, and Iam not very cloused to many other drugs,so I found it a diamond for my madical-bag, it goes with me every where...I need it a lot..., I will buy next editions.

This is the best pocket drug book out there. I have seen others! I liked the tabular format. Excellent organization, format, and coverage. And, it comes from PDR! I can trust the information.

I read this book years ago, yet recall most of its details. It tells the tale of Josh Boger who came out of Harvard to start Vertex Pharmaceuticals, taking you in a captivating fashion through every delicate step from inception to maturity of this company in its quest for the big drug score.

Having spent almost 18 years in this industry as a scientist and entrepreneur myself I can testify to its accurate portrayl of what it is like to start a typical therapeutic biotech. This book provides unique incite into the world of start-up biotechs and the risks that come with them. It even manages to scuttle through the many interesting dynamics of biotech personalities where primadonna scientific wiz kids meet bottom line suits with calculators and some hybridize into a combination of the two.

If you are a potential investor, wish to work in this industry, or already do or even a patient wondering why your treatment/cure is not yet on market and want to understand more about the economics of biotechnology and drug discovery and development from the ground up, this is a must read. It will edify you and entertain you at the same time and you will end up rooting for Josh along the way.

Barry's Werth spent several years with the scientists and bio-venturers who formed Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The work paid off in an insightful and entertaining book. The Billion Dollar molecule is the holy grail of the researchers in today's pharmaceutical world, and this book shows how they go about attaining it. A remarkably easy book to read even if you don't know a protein from a Springsteen. The reader can find something valuable from all angles. Read it as a science book, a thriller, a business narrative, or a straight novel, you'll find delight here.

A thouroughly enjoyable read, Werth sheds light on the personaliteis and complexities of an amazing and multifaceted business. Throughout, the author uncovers the unseen deal-making, hand-wringing, and fist clenching that dominate the start of Vertex, a strucure-based paharmaceutical firm.

I particularly enjoyed the background on the Boger-Schreiber collaboration and rivalry, and the ensuing rivalry in Vertex's own labs. Further, following the last few years of Vertex's ups and downs via the Internet has been thoroughly enjoyable.

Werth's style is easliy read, and his obvious unhindered access to Vertex and its people make the story enjoyable, suspenseful, and dramatic.

You might think you can find everything you need to know about prescription drugs on the internet. However, I've found that certain sites give too much info (chemical structure of the medication), or too little (no warnings about side effects, etc). This book is a great reference for prescription drugs of all kinds. I just wish it covered over-the-counter drugs.

A full-color Drug Identification Guide starts out this book. Then most of the book is an alphabetical list of prescription drugs. I didn't have any trouble finding the ones I was looking for. From the coumadin my mother-in-law is on, to the protonix my mom is on, to the Celebrex I take for osteoarthritis to the Allegra my daughter takes for her allergies, it's all here.

One of the features I like is that there is a range of dosages. I've seen books that have NO dosages at all. Of course, this has to be determined by the doctor for each individual patient, but it's nice to have an idea of what the range is.

After the section with all the drugs, there are articles on various health problems. While that might be helpful, what I really appreciated was the 13-page "Disease and Disorder Index". The diseases are in alphabetical order, then the drugs commonly used to treat that problem are listed below, with the page numbers where you can find more information. With so many medications have similar names - for instance, Celebrex for arthritis and Celexa for depression, it's great to have a quick and easy way to find out what drugs are prescribed for what conditions.

No home with a Child should not be without this book. It makes understaning/taking prescription so easy. I take this book with me everytime anyone in my family go to the doctor office.

This is without a doubt the last word in a book of drug information.

The problem with the exhaustive list of side effects is that they are based on a list of everything that happened during studies... and while almost all are related to the drug being tested...some of the rare side effects *may* just have occured during the trials and may or may not be related to the drug.

The book is expensive to buy and is updated yearly so a volume is outdated almost at publication...that is why I question the people who put so much stock in it. There are so many good alternatives. For example, the internet has many many many drug information sites...including a PDR site. There is a site for people with palm computers called "epocrates" that is free and infinately updateable...and has wonderful features! It is also much more portable than the PDR book. The pharmacies give out drug information and most will give you a package insert if you ask...and if you push your MD you may even be able to get the office to photocopy the pdr page for you. All of these things are probably better because you will be assured of getting the most up-to-date information...

This is without a doubt the last word in drug information. The danger , for me anyway, is that sometimes I have been known to "imagine" side effects if I know they are possible. I think that the PDR is invaluable at times and I will seek to consult it but usually only AFTER I suspect I may be having a problem....that way I am sure I am not imagining side effects because I know they are possible. The book is expensive to buy and is updated yearly so a volume is outdated almost at publication...that is why I question the people who put so much stock in it. There are so many good alternatives. For example, the internet has many many many drug information sites...including a PDR site. There is a site for people with palm computers called "epocrates" that is free and infinately updateable...and has wonderful features! It is also much more portable than the PDR book. The pharmacies give out drug information and most will give you a package insert if you ask...and if you push your MD you may even be able to get the office to photocopy the pdr page for you. All of these things are probably better because you will be assured of getting the most up-to-date information...

Everybody shold own a copy of this reference book. I have had doctors write out a perscription for me that would be lethal or at best land me into the hospital because they are not up on pharmacology.They practice medical care whch often is one dimensional for a condition without taking into the other medications the patients are taking and are in too much of a hurry to monitor medications. I have had pharmacists fill perscriptions ,thinking their computers would red flag medications that should not be mixed, but the pharmacist cannot keep up with all of the medications, and their computers are not programmed to "red flag". I have had to ask for print outs and the doctors resent being called on if meds they ordered were dangerous with other medical conditions. So patients need to cross-reference the medications themselves.This book needs to be kept up to date and at a place of easy accessibility at home for every patient.Mistakes are made too easily and no one wants to take responsibility for the mistakes of pharmacists or physicians. Patients need to become knowledgeabe of every dangerous interaction with conditions they have, or other medications they are taking. The book is very large and bulky, but it has a tremendous amount of information contained in it. There is a section of generic name, as well as brand names. New medications come out every year and a patient needs to know more than the small print out the pharmacy supplies. It is easy for a doctor to use a laptop computer,list medical conditions and information, including medications a patient is on and cross reference. I have seen an excellent doctor do this to keep a patient well. Unfortunately, not many doctors either can be bothered or know how to do this, so patients have needed to monitor their medications and become knowledgeable or they take high risks leaving their trust in a person who has an MD after their name. They take for granted the title has endowments of high credibility. The PDR is essential for a patient to keep themselves out of harms way. Just as in any field some doctors are very good and some more interested in their day off at the golf course.As time goes on, patients have needed to seriosly question the quality of their doctor and the medications that he is perscribing. The patient needs a reference book to read all of the information of the medications, that their doctor has not paid attention to for good medicine. I prefer a doctor that earned a good reputation, not one that is "practicing" on me with medications he is not familar with that a pharmacudical reprsentative gave him samples of, so he orders whatever a salesman told him to order. Get this PDR and think things through before blindly trusting a doctor that has not even considered all of the interactions that could possibly prove fatal. Doctors who are "too busy" to bother are dangerous. Mrs Symmington

I was expecting the book to start off with the history of Merck and its founding, then slowly progress through to the current modern day challenges.

The book was a slow read and gave very little insight about Merck,its people.

What I don't understand is why author spent so many pages detailing the modern day health government policy problems.
This was supposed to be a story about Merck.

Don't bother buying or even borrowing this book, it will leave you frustrated.

This book suceeds in examining the pharmaceutical industry in general and it is a fairly balanced look at one company. Fran Hawthorn uses Merck as a standard to compare to other drug companies and even compares the present-day Merck unfavorably to the moral high ground Merck trod in the past. I think Merck employees were very careful about the information they provided, and there weren't really compelling stories about individual people within the company. The book made me wish Fran had written an expose instead of a dispassionate, although informative nonfiction piece.

As a writer with a strong interest in the pharmaceutical industry, I found this book to be an an insightful account of Merck's evolution, it's journey to becoming a giant on the pharmaceutical landscape and its subsequent decline in prestige (and value) as patents to its profitable drugs expire and obstacles to new drug development become insurmountable.

But "The Merck Druggernaut" is more than Merck's story. This book provides a riveting overview of the ills that afflict the entire industry and its growing estrangement from the needs of people, medicine and the complexities of healthcare insurance.

Fran Hawthorne's book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding how Merck fits into the overall picture of pharma's conflict between profit and corporate responsibility.

Alice Shane

This is a decent reference source, but remember that the book is paid for by the drug companies that advertise in it. I do not use it as a pharmacist because I have second thoughts on whether all of the info is unbiased. I think it does show some bias. In addition, drugs are not even mentioned unless a drug company pays to have it in there.

I use the PDR all the time -- I'd be lost without it -- but this is a book that's easy to MIS-use. Much of the material is tough-going, such as how the medications work and how they may interact. To some extent this is unavoidable, but......even after all these years, the publisher hasn't figured out that some aspects of the format are quite poor. For example, what would be so hard about putting things like "half-lives" of medications in tabular form, or some other "eye-friendly" thing, so they could be seen at a glance??? And in general, if you're looking for a particular thing, even if you land on the right paragraph there's a good chance you won't see it. Also, for some reason, the side effects for any given medication are divided between two or more different sections of the article. And some very important sections -- e.g. "Drug Interactions" -- are hard to find no matter how experienced you are with the PDR.
Most astonishingly, despite the fact that the PDR tends to list anything and everything as a possible side effect for every medication, some common side effects are simply not mentioned at all. And, oftentimes some of the major uses for a given medication are not mentioned. These two problems aren't the fault of the publisher; the first reflects failures of the medical literature in general and the second reflects the fact that many correct usages of medications are not officially approved. Also the listed dosage ranges are sometimes too limited; lower or higher dosages may be right for some people.
So, don't regard the PDR as the last word. Above all, don't take too seriously the endless lists of possible side effects. Remember that these aren't necessarily things that WILL happen; they MIGHT happen. And remember that the lists usually include a lot of things that rarely if ever happen -- yet sometimes fail to include things that DO happen. If you are convinced that a medication has done something to you, and the effect is NOT mentioned in the PDR, you're still probably right. But, don't assume that something IS happening just because it IS mentioned in the PDR!

A PDR is the only sourse that has 100% of the information on the dugs. Some doctors feel the PDR is writen by attorneys, because it has every side effect a drug has ever given a patient. Or that the PDR has every scrap of information on any drug listed in it............................. I have 38,000 hours of Emergency Medical System.................................... When persons make comments that the PDR does not make reference to drugs half life. In fact the PDR does state a drug half life. And it would be legally negligent for the PDR to list drugs in a catigory of half life, so a drug could be choosen for a patient, based on its half-life........... Drug advertisements, or drug info sheets "your" doctor gives you on a drug, is writen by the drug companies, and as a result, all the information that you would find in the PDR, is left off the drug info sheets they give to doctors, the same info sheets your doctors pass onto you.

I found that this book is not nearly as easy to use as some of the websites out there. Also, when looking for any problems with taking several different medicines, the web is preffered.

I got this reference book soon after I was diagnosed to check all the prescriptions that I was bombarded with from my doctor. Based on the Physician's Desk Reference, this guide is the most comprehensive reference on medications and essential for patients with IBD. I've used it probably a hundred times, mostly to prepare for questions about medications for my doctor. It contains a wealth of information on thousands of medications: indications for use, how each drug works, potential side effects, and interactions with other medications. The PDR is also indexed by manufacturer, category, and brand and generic names. It will definately help you gain more control over your medical care. On CCFA's book list

This book condenses all the information from the Physician Desk Reference that doctor's use into an understandable guide for everyday people. I take about 10 different medications at any one time and this guide helped me sort it all out and make sure that I was safely taking my meds. Also has detailed information about potential side effects of hundreds of drugs. A handy reference book.

The 3rd cause of death in the United States is, no, not AIDS or heart attacks, but from pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by doctors and properly administered. Shame on the FDA.
This book, The PDR Family Guide to Prescription Drugs is nothing more than an advertisement for the Drug Industry. The Physician's Desk Reference, on the other hand, is for medical doctors and contains vital information on all popular drugs prescribed today. Information from the pharmaceutical companies, how the drug should be used, how it should not be used, and most importantly, the contra-indications ("side-effects"). The side-effects of many of todays drugs are astounding and anyone considering taking them should be fully informed to make a conscious choice. The PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) for the current year is the book to buy for this vital information, not the Family Guide.

Good For people who need to look up things . If your sick alot or know someone in your family who is sick .

great to have if you get sick alot or you know someone who does

I recently bought this book because I'm interested in Nutirional Supplements and Nutrition in general. When the book arrived, i was quite dissapointed. Instead of in-depth information, I found pretty much what you could read on the label of the drug or supplement: Pictures of the drug, the ingredients, and the warnings. Don't buy this book unless you want to pay for information that is already free.

Also had a reference to herbal suppliments. Infos a little old as far as name brands go, but herbal sups are herbal sups no matter the year.

Final word: Handy reference book.

Want to know the ingridients in tylenol and the recommended dosage. Well, if one has this affinity and liking , then one should examine, read and maybe even buy this helpfull resource/reference work/psuedo medical book. I like the picture section where it presents clear and easy on the eye photographs of non perscription drugs. Highly Recommended.

I bought this book as a text book for a college course. I was extremely dissappointed because the style in which Mr. Edwards writes is an excellent example of what a text book should not be. I wondered if I had bought the clif note version. I felt this book was written like a cookbook. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and I wanted to throw the recipe away. I felt that Mr. Edwards book was an excellent example of "easy way out" management. He limited the examples in the text to only the those he used, and left an impression that all of his decisions were correct. I would like to ask Mr. Edwards if he felt he was successful in running the PG County Fire Dept. using the discussed methods. I would also ask if he felt the Dept. was in better shape after his tenure as Chief. If you are interested in learning to manage fire service personnel you may want to read this book, because of the limited information on the topic. But if you set it down after the first ten pages dont be suprised, I have seen toast that wasnt as dry as this book.

Fire Service Personnel Management is a timely an effective tool in dealing with personnel issues in the 21st century. Specific fire service scenarios throughtout the book highlight the challenges associated with a changing fire service. The book exposes the manager to the reality of a new workforce comprised of more and more minorities and females. It concisely explains the legal issues that a supervisor needs to be familiar with as well as guidelines for the selection of recruits and developing promotable employees. The chapter on labor relations and collective bargaining provides unique insights into collaborating with labor to achieve the goals of both Union and Management. Every manager will glean new techniques in effectively dealing with labor issues. My only regret is that this book was not available when I was studying for promotions as it is an extremely user friendly and comprehensive resource. I use it now in my capacity as Deputy Chief to doublecheck myself when handling any personnel matter.