I found this book an eyeopening and very worthwhile read. I just wish those in power would take the time to read it too and do something about the abysmal situation so many Americans are put in today when it comes to health care. - Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/08)
When I came across Kimberly Cheryl's book, I was still grieving the
loss of my mother, so the subject of health care in the US grabbed my
attention. I also spent years working at a print center near
Vanderbilt, during which time I encountered numerous pharmaceutical
reps and saw firsthand the waste, fraud, and unethical aspects of their
business.
Kimberly's book outlines an American "success" story, starting in
the trenches of corporate job interviews and training, climbing the
ladder of bonuses and awards, then plummeting from the pinnacle in the
wake of changing ethics and medical issues. Along the way, Kimberly
establishes her credibility as one who knows the ins and outs of Big
Pharma, as she calls, lending more weight to her myth-busting list in
the final chapters, as well as to her call to action and radical
change. She doesn't gloss over her own "teeny, tiny mental breakdown"
or the strains of the industry on families, physicians, and so on.
After my mother's recent passing in Germany, I was struck by the
injustice of our own health system. She had no insurance in the US--due
to persisting heart issues, no one would cover her. She was single and
low-income. In other words, as she lay dying, she had no real means of
being taken care of. Thankfully, due to Germany's system, she received
quality care in those last few weeks, despite not even being a citizen.
I doubt the same would've happened in her own country which she loved.
"Escape from the Pharma Cartel" is a vital wake-up call to
legislators, regulators, and individuals. It peels back the veil and
exposes the gross conflicts of interest within the FDA and the
multi-billion dollar companies that comprise Big Pharma. This book
needs to be read. I sure hope somebody's paying attention.
Interesting topic about pharma drugs, February 11, 2009
Fast and easy reading book about the drug industry as it relates to
individuals in this country. This book is a must read for anyone with
health problems and needing pharmacy drugs. The method your medicine is
selected for you will surprise you. I had my Mother read this book to
help understand why her doctor changed medicine she was taking.
Saddening, yet thought provoking reading, recommended, December 6, 2008
America, despite having the best doctors in the world, is ranked very
low in overall health care. "Escape from the Parma Drug Cartel" tells
Kimberly Cheryl's story of dealing with the vicious and sadistic
American health care system, which virtually tortures people at a time
when they need the help the most. Dragged into the poor house after
once being the spitting image of the American dream, Cheryl tells a
story and offers ideas to help America revise its care for its own
people. "Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel" is saddening, yet thought
provoking reading, recommended.
In Escape From The Pharma Drug Cartel, a former drug rep and industry
cheerleader takes a hard look at the pharmaceutical sales field from
the inside, starting with its middle heyday, all the way to near-recent
practices. Readers witness the flourish and luxe of this bloated
industry, and follow it to its downturn and likely demise through the
eyes of Kimberly Cheryl.
Cheryl introduces herself as an industry insider, forsaken and
given up on once her health takes a sudden downturn, an incident
described in excruciating and astounding detail near the beginning of
the book. Readers begin with a peek into the industry's training
philosophies and management practices, including witnessing events and
training programs described in such lavish and opulent detail as to be
simultaneously inviting - yet strangely disturbing - definitely echoing
the swollen wallets and bank accounts of this para-cartel. Cheryl then
traces her path through the light days and watches for us as the
industry seems to turn.
While giving eye-opening insight into both her personal and
professional life, Escape From The Pharma Drug Cartel also augments
Cheryl's experience with the perspectives of other pharma drug
soldiers, provided through glimpses into conversations, online
communities, and others' beliefs regarding the industry.
With great foreshadowing that hooks the reader, along with intimate
details and incredible highlights, this book offers an insightful look
into a roller coaster of a career.
Allena Tapia
Apex Reviews
2008 USA BookNews Best Book Award Top Finalist, October 20, 2008
Top Award Finalist for Social Change in the 2008 USABookNews.com Best
Book Awards - Order Your copy today and help make a change in the
health care system
Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel: My Life as a Member of the Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel Kimberly Cheryl Outskirts Press (2007) ISBN 9781432712808
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/08)
Kimberly Cheryl’s “Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel” is a sobering book. The author worked in pharmaceutical sales for nearly two decades and during her career she’s seen it all. In this book she also reveals it all – from the incredible amounts of money spent on advertising and marketing – which happens to be way more than the industry spends on development and research, to the unjust and unfair way the reps are treated when something bad happens to them. In the fast-paced and cut-throat corporate world of today, the pharmaceutical sales field seems to be the lowest of the low. Having been able to see the health care field from both sides – as a provider and as a patient, Cheryl focuses on many issues that we face every day and gives an intelligent assessment of what is wrong with the American health care in general.
Cheryl’s corporate career has been extremely successful for the longest time. She had it all, until one tiny moment of bad luck. When an accident left her in pain, she continued working, even at the risk of injuring herself further. But not even that was enough and she eventually got fired by the company she worked for, in spite of still achieving high sales and excellent results. That’s when she faced the reality so many other Americans face every day – uninsured, with an uninsurable husband (due to his Crohn’s disease), facing bills and unpaid taxes… Looking back at her career, she takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the convoluted pathways of new drugs marketing and sales. Most any question the reader has ever had about the way things work in this field, starting from why certain drugs get prescribed so often, even when they have not been tested enough and/or have well known harmful side effects, has been answered, oftentimes supported with hard data and names.
While there is no denying that Cheryl is still bitter over what could be seen as total betrayal by her former employers, there is no doubt that she turned that bitterness to good use. Exposing the oftentimes ugly truth of the “Pharma Drug Cartel” should have more people asking the right questions and it will hopefully bring some positive changes into the available health care options.
While Kimberly Cheryl never gets too technical in her writing, she comes across as competent and believable in “Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel.” My only wish is that she would have invested in having the book professionally edited, which would have helped weed out some rather amusing typos and errors like (luggage caracole, Chrone’s disease, the streets were stripped bear…). Other than that, I found this book an eyeopening and very worthwhile read. I just wish those in power would take the time to read it too and do something about the abysmal situation so many Americans are put in today when it comes to health care.
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