Phake: The Deadly World of Falsified and Substandard Medicines
Economist Bate (fellow, American Enterprise Inst.) here expands on his brief 2008 book,Making a Killing: The Deadly Implications of the Counterfeit Drug Trade. For this work, he traveled the world, investigating drugs that were less potent than they should have been (and therefore less likely to be effective), adulterated with agents ranging from talc to toxins, made available for purchase past their expiration date, and—the major focus—falsified, intentionally mislabeled, or counterfeit and intended to mislead the purchaser (as in the case of Viagra). Bate is attentive to the problem of fake drugs sold over the Internet, and his experiences online as well as his personal connections with government officials highlight his deep interest in and knowledge of the subject. Bate outlines the fake drug situation in Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Turkey, among other places, but devotes the most attention to the “phake” industry in Nigeria, India, and China.VERDICTNo scientific knowledge is necessary to understand and appreciate the problems that Bate addresses. Anyone concerned about the quality of prescription medications will find this book of interest.(Library Journal)Bate’s work is more than a detailed analysis; it is also a revelatory first-hand account of the counterfeit drug trade(Forbes)