Overdo$ed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine
BMJ 2004; 329 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.329.7468.746 (Published 23 September 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:746- Ray Moynihan (raymond.moynihan@verizon.net), visiting editor
- BMJ
With so much negativity towards medicine these days, many doctors must be contemplating ear-plugs and wondering why they are bothering. Thanks to Harvard University researcher and family doctor John Abramson, that negativity is about to be turned up a notch. His book is the latest in a series of searing indictments of a medical profession apparently duped by the false promise of technology, and too often compromised by cold hard cash from the companies selling the drugs and devices. Yet this book comes with a refreshing respect for the healing potential of the doctor-patient relationship, and a clear commitment to making the healthcare system more humane. The title speaks of the United States, but the themes are global.

John Abramson
HarperCollins $24.95/$C34.95, pp 352 ISBN 0 06 056852 6
www.harpercollins.com
Rating:
Much of the material about drug companies distorting science will be familiar to many readers, but there is a freshness here that carries great appeal. The author combines his personal journey towards increasing scepticism with a clear analysis of where the American health system is failing. The book's focus is …
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