Taming the BIG PHARMA MONSTER by Speaking Truth to Power
With Informative Snippets Taken from the Book
DISRUPTING THE PHARMA INDUSTRY? DO ME A FAVOUR…
PLEASE SUSPEND JUDGEMENT UNTIL YOU’VE HEARD OUR CASE
This is the title of Chapter 1 of the book. I had anticipated the incredulity and pushback from potential readers, with such a title as Taming the BIG PHARMA MONSTER. Who ever was going to believe that?
When I wrote the book, it was through 2019, when people didn’t then quite see the need for disruption of the Big Pharma Business model. I’m hoping people do now, some six years later.
A Bit About the Book
Chapter 1 begins:
“There aren’t too many people willing to countenance the potential disruption of the pharma industry. In fact, there is probably no-one who would give houseroom to the notion – but it’s possible. If this book achieves nothing other than convincing you of that, then we have a result on our hands.
So, give your brain a quick swill, wash out your pre-conceived ideas, and sit back for a fascinating few hours.”
In the section ‘SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION’, I make this observation:
“After reading this book, you will be able to separate fact from the various fictional accounts of what is going on in the industry. Pharmaceutical companies and their trade associations put forward their view of the world, as do various media outlets and professional communications agencies. The level of interest in the truth varies greatly, but one thing is certain – it is almost impossible to gain an objective view of the rights and wrongs of all that is going on. This book will correct that.
We will therefore be hard on facts and evidence. We will put blame aside to focus on a positive view of the future, although much of it will make you wonder how it ever got into this mess.”
So, do you ever wonder how it got into this mess?
The following six chapters document how focusing on patented molecules, rather than patient wellbeing, led to four decades of a ‘race to the bottom’, AKA a mess.
What Is the Race to the Bottom?
Fundamentally, a race to the bottom is when incentives and other reward mechanisms in a socio-technical system or systems (eg organisation(s)) results in members of the system(s) seeking short term rewards, rather than pursuing the longer-term stated objectives of the company organisation, such as quality standards in manufacture.
Then we turn to Chapter 8:
CHAPTER 8 IT’S THE SYSTEM WOT DONE IT, YOUR HONOUR
In this Chapter, we look toward giants in the world of running successful organisations, such as Steve Jobs, when he built Apple (such a sad loss to the world).
Below is an extract from the book - I managed to jot down his musing in a video interview:
“These are the keys to Apple.
We are an incredibly collaborative company.
Do you know how many committees we have at Apple? – Zero
We are organised like a start-up.
1 person in charge of iPhone OS software.
1 person in charge of MAC hardware.
1 person in charge of iPhone hardware engineering
1 person in charge of w/w marketing.
1 person in charge of operations.
We are the biggest start-up on the planet.
And we all meet for 3 hours once a week and we talk about everything we are doing, the whole business.
And there’s tremendous teamwork at the top of the company which filters down to tremendous teamwork throughout the company.
And teamwork is dependent on trusting the other folks to come through with their part without watching them all the time. Trusting that they are going to come through with their part – and that’s what we do really well, and we are great at figuring out how to divide things up into these great teams that we have. We all work on the same things and touch bases frequently and bring it all together into a product.
We do that really well and so what I do all day is meet with teams of people.
And work on ideas and solve problems to make new products and make new marketing programmes. Whatever it is…”
Spot on, Steve. Armed with those principles it is no coincidence that Steve Jobs achieved what he did.”
The final Chapters are titled:
9. THE PEOPLE-PURPOSE (PS) SYSTEM STEPS IN TO HELP
10.BROKE'S NO FUN - TIME TO APPLY THE FIX
I won’t give the game away here - much more fun to find out the contents for yourself!
That’s not the end of the story
The book you see in the image above is ‘currently unavailable on Amazon’
I could count the number that sold since publication on my fingers and toes. In fact, I probably wouldn’t need the second set of toes. Consequently, I decided to save myself from the embarrassment of having written the book with no sales and asked the publisher to withdraw it in early 2020.
I have since self-published it using Amazon KDP. The cover is pretty amateur as I had to make it myself using the KDP template. I do supply chain management, not graphic design…this is it:
TAMING THE BIG PHARMA MONSTER: By Speaking Truth to Power Paperback – 5 July 2022
The content is the same and Amazon KDP does a great job on guiding self-publishers through the process.
Are there Reviews?
Kissing Frogs
5.0 out of 5 stars Big Pharma and some inconvenient truths
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 July 2019
The indomitable Mr Rees has once again put the cat amongst the pigeons with his latest dismantling of the Big Pharma business model. According to Rees, outrageous medicine costs, massive attrition rates, protracted development times, regulatory cow-towing, an over-reliance on outsourcing and a dearth of "patient-centricity" are all hallmarks of a 'broken medicines system'. Written in an easy to read, endearingly tongue-in-cheek style, Rees doesn't just rock and rail, he explains how the industry has got to this point and suggests a route to structural reform. Whether you revile or revere the behaviour of the "big medicine monster" you must read this book.
Richard Rowe
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know about big pharma
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 March 2023
“Very good read confirming everything I suspected was and still is wrong with the pharmaceutical industry but never really understood why. This book explains why our medical profession, regulating authorities and pharmaceutical companies conspire to keep the population dependent on an ever increasing array of often toxic treatments and how money drives everything. It left me in no doubt that the entire system is truly broken and hasn't been fit for purpose since the 1950s. Sobering.”
nancy roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars A must for everyone to read !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 April 2023
I was surprised at how easy it was to read while getting the points over. The Monster has been using underhand ways to game patent law to make massive profits selling drugs that aren’t even safe, let alone work. Recommended read if you want to get an insider view on how to tame the beast!
Louis Clack (Junior Doctor)
Eye opening insight into Big Pharma
"Hedley has a lot of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and it clearly shows. This well written inisght into the development and practices that occur can be understood by lay people and others in healthcare.
The challenges that it faces are laid bare, as are the practical steps we can take to improve things
Would recommend"
Available on Amazon UK or from your local country Amazon site:
With so much disaster with mrna c-vax, why are they combining c-vx mrna with flu vx?
This can't end well.