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Death By Prescription: The Shocking Truth Behind an Overmedicated Nation
Experienced family doctor Ray Strand writes his patients prescriptions every week, but he also believes that prescribing drugs should be a last resort in most medical cases-not a first choice. In Death by Prescription he provides simple guidelines to help readers protect themselves and their families from suffering adverse reactions to prescription medication.
- GenresHealthMedicineNonfiction
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
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251 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 28, 2025
Good, relevant information on the use of prescription medications; however, I don't agree with the assumption that supplements are necessary or any safer than prescribed medications. They are still unregulated and the tablets, capsules, powders etc. don't even have to contain the ingredients listed on packaging nor do they guarantee the described doses. Until it changes, I'll proceed with care.
August 23, 2014
Excellent book written by a physician who dares to speak the truth about the medications being used to treat disease. He not only warns against the possible side effects and interactions, but explains the pharmaceutical industry's culpability in a system gone wrong. And he doesn't stop there. He instructs people on what they can do to get and stay healthy without all the drugs. Ultimately, we have to take responsibility for lifestyle choices that lead to disease and informing ourselves about the drugs we are prescribed and doing what we can to avoid having to take them. Read this book and you will not swallow so much as an aspirin without thought again.
November 21, 2018
Definetively informative. I appreciated the way Dr. Strand takes the time to systemically discuss the various factors that lead to America's health crisis. My big problem is the constant refrencing of his other book. Focus on what you're discussing in this book don't just assume we'll get the other one. Still pretty solid advice overall. The stories were rather sappy in their descriptions
January 13, 2020
This is a balanced and well researched book about how medications can sometimes do more harm than good. I’m emphasizing that this book is balanced because I have seen many books that either glorify all medications or vehemently deny the effectiveness and use of anything medically. As with many things, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Obviously, many medications save lives and have done so for decades. On the other hand, several medications have gone through the FDA approval process, only to be withdrawn because they killed people and did not do their jobs properly.
Another feature of this book that I especially appreciate is that the author doesn’t stop at explaining what’s wrong or broken with our FDA approval system. He teaches patients how to read package inserts to understand what our medications do and gives us tools and possible questions to support conversations with our doctors to make sure we’re getting the medications we need. He also reminds us that we are a vital part of our medical team and that we can choose not to take a medicine if we believe it is not in our best interest. I have done this with Staten drugs because there is a side effect causing wasting of muscle tissue that I have had after trying four different drugs. I am choosing to live with mildly elevated cholesterol, understanding that the risk of statins for me are higher than the risk of heart attack because of clogged arteries. Cholesterol is only one contributing factor to heart disease, and I get regular echo cardio gram’s of my heart to check for problems.
One of the things few of us think about is how drugs interact with each other, especially if we take more than five medications a day. One of the things a person can do is schedule an appointment with a pharmacist to sit down and go through each medication, looking to see if there are problematic drug interactions. Just like doctors, pharmacist can be a vital part of our medical support team. They have much more training and understanding about how drugs work and how they are eliminated from the body. For example, if you have kidney disease or poor liver function, there are several types of medications that can build up to toxic levels in your system because they’re not excreted properly. These types of medications can be spotted more easily by a pharmacist. People who are 65 years old or older, especially those with diabetes, may have reduced kidney function. So this could be something that could save a life, something that runs under our normal radar. That’s why am taking the time to review this book and suggest that you make the time to read it if you, like me, take five or more medications a day.
Another feature of this book that I especially appreciate is that the author doesn’t stop at explaining what’s wrong or broken with our FDA approval system. He teaches patients how to read package inserts to understand what our medications do and gives us tools and possible questions to support conversations with our doctors to make sure we’re getting the medications we need. He also reminds us that we are a vital part of our medical team and that we can choose not to take a medicine if we believe it is not in our best interest. I have done this with Staten drugs because there is a side effect causing wasting of muscle tissue that I have had after trying four different drugs. I am choosing to live with mildly elevated cholesterol, understanding that the risk of statins for me are higher than the risk of heart attack because of clogged arteries. Cholesterol is only one contributing factor to heart disease, and I get regular echo cardio gram’s of my heart to check for problems.
One of the things few of us think about is how drugs interact with each other, especially if we take more than five medications a day. One of the things a person can do is schedule an appointment with a pharmacist to sit down and go through each medication, looking to see if there are problematic drug interactions. Just like doctors, pharmacist can be a vital part of our medical support team. They have much more training and understanding about how drugs work and how they are eliminated from the body. For example, if you have kidney disease or poor liver function, there are several types of medications that can build up to toxic levels in your system because they’re not excreted properly. These types of medications can be spotted more easily by a pharmacist. People who are 65 years old or older, especially those with diabetes, may have reduced kidney function. So this could be something that could save a life, something that runs under our normal radar. That’s why am taking the time to review this book and suggest that you make the time to read it if you, like me, take five or more medications a day.
February 16, 2026
In short, it's a load of fear mongering, misinformation.
1/3
This author spends the first part of the book tearing apart the entire history of the FDA and all of their changes and contributions to laws and regulations.
He goes through every major change to their polices and any important laws around drugs and what was wrong with them. And in all fairness they were often bad choices that needed critical analysis. But his criticism would always boil down to "FDA did a slightly bad thing... therefore drugs bad". Every single point he made was valid and fair, but none of them really proved that drugs are inherently bad and need to be removed.
He acknowledged that the FDA and the use of drugs has been good for the American people (it has been objectively good, and saved more live than ended), but he needed a perfect system for the FDA, and if there was a single flaw then it wasn't worth it to him.
2/3
In the middle section of the book, he talks about the general practitioner and hospital system and their "over reliance" on prescription medicine. He has a lot to say and a lot against drug.
Once again he brings up valid points about consumers not knowing what they're taking, unaware of drug reactions from drugs mixing, and doctors being bought by pharmaceutical companies. All of these are bad and need fixing, but to the author, these are grounds to completely throw away all drugs and their medical use. A recurring issue is that to the author, drugs need to be perfect and to be used perfectly otherwise they're not worth using at all. There is no possible middle ground apparently.
3/3
The final 2 chapters are actually pretty useful and full of good opinions. The author discusses good practices and habits to get into, to avoid having to go to the doctors/use prescription medicine. Essentially good health advice to keep you healthy and in working order.
The author seems to understand that we live in a drug focused world (for a reason) and advices the reader on how to keep their body in shape so they don't have to rely on dangerous medicine. Which everyone probably should do no matter your opinion on drugs.
Overall
The author fills every chapter with a sob story of someone who took medicine wrong, or a doctor conducted malpractice, or a drug company did something evil. Now a book about where something so scientifically studied is good or bad, shouldn't need emotive personal stories in every chapter. The scientific evidence should show whether prescription medicine is worth the risk or not (the data shows it is worth it). So the author is clearly relying on you being afraid of the 5% of people who have an adverse drug reaction, rather than any actual data.
The author also has a biased opinion that's all or nothing. He discusses a lot of issues but his solution is always to get rid of drugs once and for all. There's never a middle ground or a suggestion to get solve these acute and specific issues, just get rid of drugs.
In my opinion this book is a load of opinionated nonsense of someone who doesn't want to look at the data. HOWEVER, it does inspire me to look into what drugs I'm offered, ask my doctors as many questions as I can, and do research, and take action towards my health. So the ramblings of an idiot have made me aware of the dangers of medicine which is probably his intention.
I recommend this book if you're someone who does their own research and forms their own opinions, not someone who'll copy someone else opinion because they said it.
1/3
This author spends the first part of the book tearing apart the entire history of the FDA and all of their changes and contributions to laws and regulations.
He goes through every major change to their polices and any important laws around drugs and what was wrong with them. And in all fairness they were often bad choices that needed critical analysis. But his criticism would always boil down to "FDA did a slightly bad thing... therefore drugs bad". Every single point he made was valid and fair, but none of them really proved that drugs are inherently bad and need to be removed.
He acknowledged that the FDA and the use of drugs has been good for the American people (it has been objectively good, and saved more live than ended), but he needed a perfect system for the FDA, and if there was a single flaw then it wasn't worth it to him.
2/3
In the middle section of the book, he talks about the general practitioner and hospital system and their "over reliance" on prescription medicine. He has a lot to say and a lot against drug.
Once again he brings up valid points about consumers not knowing what they're taking, unaware of drug reactions from drugs mixing, and doctors being bought by pharmaceutical companies. All of these are bad and need fixing, but to the author, these are grounds to completely throw away all drugs and their medical use. A recurring issue is that to the author, drugs need to be perfect and to be used perfectly otherwise they're not worth using at all. There is no possible middle ground apparently.
3/3
The final 2 chapters are actually pretty useful and full of good opinions. The author discusses good practices and habits to get into, to avoid having to go to the doctors/use prescription medicine. Essentially good health advice to keep you healthy and in working order.
The author seems to understand that we live in a drug focused world (for a reason) and advices the reader on how to keep their body in shape so they don't have to rely on dangerous medicine. Which everyone probably should do no matter your opinion on drugs.
Overall
The author fills every chapter with a sob story of someone who took medicine wrong, or a doctor conducted malpractice, or a drug company did something evil. Now a book about where something so scientifically studied is good or bad, shouldn't need emotive personal stories in every chapter. The scientific evidence should show whether prescription medicine is worth the risk or not (the data shows it is worth it). So the author is clearly relying on you being afraid of the 5% of people who have an adverse drug reaction, rather than any actual data.
The author also has a biased opinion that's all or nothing. He discusses a lot of issues but his solution is always to get rid of drugs once and for all. There's never a middle ground or a suggestion to get solve these acute and specific issues, just get rid of drugs.
In my opinion this book is a load of opinionated nonsense of someone who doesn't want to look at the data. HOWEVER, it does inspire me to look into what drugs I'm offered, ask my doctors as many questions as I can, and do research, and take action towards my health. So the ramblings of an idiot have made me aware of the dangers of medicine which is probably his intention.
I recommend this book if you're someone who does their own research and forms their own opinions, not someone who'll copy someone else opinion because they said it.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews