Dangerous Doses: A True Story of Cops, Counterfeiters, and the Contamination of America's Drug Supply - Paperback

by Katherine Eban (Author)

In the tradition of the great investigative classics, Dangerous Doses exposes the dark side of America's pharmaceutical trade. Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly makes its way into a poorly regulated distribution system--where it may reach unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness.

Front Jacket

In the tradition of the great investigative classics, Dangerous Doses exposes the dark side of America's pharmaceutical trade. Stolen, compromised, and counterfeit medicine increasingly is making its way into a poorly regulated distribution system, where it reaches unsuspecting patients who stake their lives on its effectiveness. Tragically, we cannot trust the purity of the costly drugs we get from our most reputable drugstores, or even hospital pharmacies.
Katherine Eban's hard-hitting exploration of America's secret ring of drug counterfeiters takes us to Florida, where tireless investigators follow the trail of medicine stolen in a seemingly minor break-in as it funnels into a sprawling national network of drug polluters. Their pursuit stretches from a strip joint in South Miami to the halls of Congress, as they battle entrenched political interests and uncover an increasing threat to America's health.
Eban's dynamic writing and first-hand reporting make Dangerous Doses an extraordinary read -- page-turning as she rides along with the team of dedicated investigators (who call themselves the Five Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and heartbreaking as she tells stories of people whose lives were transformed by contaminated drugs. Eban has uncovered the greatest threat to America's drug supply: it is home-grown, secret, and so pervasive it will be difficult to eradicate.
With the conscience of a crusading reporter, Eban has crafted a riveting narrative that shows how, when we most need protection, we may be most at risk.

Back Jacket

When counterfeit prescription medicine started turning up in the nation's supply and threatening some of the sickest and weakest patients, Katherine Eban went in search of the story. What she found was an unlikely and irresistible group of heroes - five aging South Florida investigators who dubbed themselves the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and held their meetings at Hooters. Working around the clock on cases no one else wanted to tackle, they followed the trail of stolen and contaminated medicine in a takedown eventually dubbed Operation Stone Cold. This riveting page-turner takes us along with the Horsemen as they wade into "more rank Florida unseemliness than a Carl Hiaasen novel" ("Salon") to ultimately uncover $33 million in bad medicine and make more than sixty arrests.
"In a style reminiscent of some of the best detective storytellers, Eban takes us breathlessly through robberies, back-room deals, cluttered and dirty warehouses, crooked dealers, sociopathic profiteers, shell companies, and state and federal laws so porous that convicted felons can become prescription-drug brokers."--"The Boston Globe"
"In her vibrant tale, Eban introduces us to these people and makes the message clear: It shouldn't happen to anyone, and it could happen to you."--"The Washington Post Book World
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Katherine Eban, an investigative medical reporter and a Rhodes Scholar, has worked for the "New York Times, New York, New York Observer, "and "ABC News." Her articles have appeared in the" Nation," "Playboy," the" New Yorker," "Vogue," and "Glamour," and she is the recipient of an Alicia Patterson Fellowship. She lives in Brooklyn.

Author Biography

KATHERINE EBAN, a Rhodes Scholar and investigative medical reporter, has worked for the New York Times, New York, New York Observer, and ABC News. Her articles have appeared in the Nation, Playboy, the New Yorker, Self, Vogue, and Glamour. She lives in Brooklyn.