The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman [Paperback]

Peter Rost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2006

A number of books critical of the pharmaceutical industry have recently been published, but none has been an exposé written by a senior executive of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The Whistleblower is at once an unmasking of how corporations take care of malcontents and a gripping story of one man's fight to maintain his family and his sanity. Starting in 2003, the book details the illegal, even criminal business practices the author witnessed at his corporation, as well as his crusade to legalize the reimportation of drugs. It also explains how in this post-Enron world whistle-blowers can't simply be fired, and what the author's corporation did to coerce and silence him. A story of a battle that continues today, one which any American who takes or will take prescription drugs has a stake in, The Whistleblower is a powerful testimony.

Product Details

• Paperback: 234 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press (September 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193336839X
• ISBN-13: 978-1933368399
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #685,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Rost, M.D., former Vice President for Pfizer became well known in 2004 when he emerged as the first drug company executive to speak out in favor of reimportation of drugs. He is the author of KILLER DRUG and THE WHISTLEBLOWER, Confessions of a Healtcare Hitman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Thrilling Read, September 25, 2006

By 

Left Out (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman (Paperback)

Pfizer: Hypocrisy is Our Life's Work

As a Pfizer employee, I am extremely upset by the facts laid out in Dr. Rost's book 'The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman.' I had previously `drank the Pfizer blue kool-aid.' An example: Pfizer has a number of 'values' and 'leader behaviors' printed on expensive, colorful posters and on cardboard mobiles which hang throughout the hallways of it's skyscrapers and campus buildings. To think these values and leader behaviors are just for the little people--the rank and file worker--and that top Pfizer executives and management who strive to be promoted to the executive ranks are above ethical behavior will forever change how I view Pfizer. Pfizer's corporate tag line is "Life is our life's work." After reading Dr. Rost's book, they ought to scratch out the word `life' and add the word `hypocrisy' in there somewhere. If Dr. Rost's thrilling new book is true, I'm thoroughly disgusted by Pfizer's behavior towards honest employees.

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page Turner!, September 15, 2006

By 

Allan Elmore (MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman (Paperback)

This is a fascinating read, very credibly told. It is really a business thriller, especially for anyone familiar with the workings of large corporations, a sort of David and Goliath epic. I picked it up to read the first chapter and literally could not put it down for about the first 130 pages, cliché notwithstanding. It moves fast, develops characters nicely and retains suspense as the story expands. For a book about business it provide a lot of action in a way that gives you insight into the drug industry, the greed of large drug corporations and their CEOs, the behavior of people in large organizations, the role of government institutions, big legal & PR firms and the media - and it does all of this not only painlessly but also interestingly. Quite a ride!

I think the review below titled "Don't Take Him Seriously" was written by someone who either did not read the book or who is a shill for the drug industry; when I checked his two other reviews each give one star and panned books about "Big Pharma". So I would not give much credence to that review. You will love reading this book and learn something along the way. Peter Rost deserves praise for his courage, ability to tell a story and for providing a revealing look inside big drug corporations.

23 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too bad this rating system goes only to 5 stars!, September 14, 2006

By 

Jack E. Lohman "Political author" (Milwaukee, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman (Paperback)

This book was a pleasant surprise. I expected an expose' of dangerous shortcuts in clinical trials and FDA submissions by the drug industry, but I found something else. An extremely entertaining (yet disturbing) story about how Pfizer -- one of the world's largest prescription drug manufacturers -- tried to stomp on an executive who first tried to right the wrongs of the company's marketing techniques, and failing that, tried to undermine that executive's efforts to disclose the problem to federal authorities (which by federal law he was required to do, or go to jail).

It all began when the company that Pfizer bought (Pharmacia) began marketing a drug for non-FDA-approved uses, which is highly illegal and could indeed kill people. And it may have, we just don't know. Rost's book is one of the few that, once I started reading, I couldn't put down until I finished it. A rarity for me. Thanks to all of the Peter Rosts of the world who put integrity above profit -- but to Pfizer, shame on you.