Faculty Associate Muhammad Zaman Authors New Book on Counterfeit Drugs

Muhammad Zaman, a professor of Biomedical Engineering and a Faculty Associate at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, is the author of a new book titled Bitter Pills: The Global War on Counterfeit Drugs published by Oxford University Press.

The book provides a journalistic account of the increasingly common problem of counterfeit pills — which have long been an issue in developing countries — in the United States drug supply, resulting from the rise of Internet commerce, along with globalization and increasing pharmaceutical use. An estimated 80% of drugs in the U.S. are manufactured overseas, mostly in India and China, creating ample opportunities along the supply chain for counterfeiters. In addition, rising health care costs in the U.S. have forced many Americans to become “medical tourists” seeking treatment in countries with widespread counterfeit drug problems.

The book aims to raise awareness about counterfeit drugs and examine possible solutions to help people protect themselves. Prof. Zaman focuses on the science and engineering behind both counterfeit and legitimate drugs, and explores the potential of a “technological fix” for the counterfeit drug problem.

Click here to read more and to purchase the book.