China Rx: Exposing the Risks of America's Dependence on China for Medicine

by Rosemary Gibson

Millions of Americans are taking prescription drugs made in China and don't know it--and pharmaceutical companies are not eager to tell them. This is a disturbing, well-researched wake-up call for improving the current system of drug supply and manufacturing.

Several decades ago, penicillin, vitamin C, and many other prescription and over-the-counter products were manufactured in the United States. But with the rise of globalization, antibiotics, antidepressants, birth control pills, blood pressure medicines, cancer drugs, among many others are made in China and sold in the United States.
China's biggest impact on the US drug supply is making essential ingredients for thousands of medicines found in American homes and used in hospital intensive care units and operating rooms.
The authors convincingly argue that there are at least two major problems with this scenario. First, it is inherently risky for the United States to become dependent on any one country as a source for vital medicines, especially given the uncertainties of geopolitics. For example, if an altercation in the South China Sea causes military personnel to be wounded, doctors may rely upon medicines with essential ingredients made by the adversary. Second, lapses in safety standards and quality control in Chinese manufacturing are a risk. Citing the concerns of FDA officials and insiders within the pharmaceutical industry, the authors document incidents of illness and death caused by contaminated medications that prompted reform.
This probing book examines the implications of our reliance on China on the quality and availability of vital medicines.

Genres: Nonfiction, China, Politics, Health, Health Care, Medicine, Science

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2018

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Author Bio

Rosemary Gibson was born in Cairo, where her father was in the Foreign Service. She spent her childhood in Egypt, Greece and Vietnam, returning to England at the age of eight. Though she took teacher's training at Christ Church College, her working experience has been varied - community service worker, barmaid, gas-pump attendant and ground hostess and receptionist for an airline in Bournemouth, where she first started writing seriously. She began with short stories for various women's magazines before becoming a romance novelist. She lives in New Forrest with her dog, Cindy, and a black cat called Jellybean.

Reviews

[Gregj · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you needed any further evidence that our politicians on both sides of the aisle are corrupt beyond redemption, look no further than this book. Almost the entire medical sector has been outsourced to an enemy. How could our national security not factor into these decisions? Why did it take a worldwide pandemic before we became aware of just how vulnerable we are to China, in particular. (mainstream media outlets ABC,CBS,NBC have business investment in China, so they have to play nice if they want to keep doing business there) And then, an article in China’s state-run Xinhua news service last week (Mar 2020) threatened to impose restrictions on medical exports so the United States will be “plunged into the mighty sea of coronavirus.” Do you still want to keep buying you cheap stuff from them? It could get really expensive.

[Pessick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a very well researched expose about how China has been rapidly cornering the market in making essential medicines which our nation relies on having a steady, safe supply of. With the rise of globalization, authors, Rosemary Gibson and Janaran Prasad Singh, describe and give many examples of how China has quietly gone about taking over the manufacture of antibiotics, anticoagulants, antidepressants, birth control pills, blood pressure medicine, cancer drugs, vitamin C , and many other drugs. They make a strong case for why we should be concerned. The two major problems they focus on are: the riskiness of our country becoming reliant on China for vital medicines given the uncertainties geopolitics and the uncertain safety standards and quality control in China effecting the health and safety of our citizens and military.

The book is very sobering, informative and well written. I recommends it.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

China Rx is a terrifying expose on the selling out of American interests by the political and business elites. A national security crisis right in front of our faces that no one seems to be aware of or care about. As our politicians dither and waste time on partisan power grabbing, our military, VA, and general population are at risk by the monopolization of medicines and first aid supplies by China. Our politicians and business execs have moved much of our manufacturing of medical supplies overseas, to a communist country, who has never played by the rules and making us dependent on them. Excellent documentation and examples of the sell out. Do you know where your medicine is being manufactured?

[Bill Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

China Rx – A Frightening Tale!
China Rx is a must read for every American and certainly for our policy-makers in Washington. For decades, our leaders have been blinded by the fantasy that concession after concession made to China will result in them eventually wanting to be and behaving like us. We could not have been more wrong. China has a plan and that plan is for them to dominate the manufacture, distribution and supply chain of pharmaceuticals (both final products and ingredients; both branded and generic) and medical devices. China has now positioned itself to be an existential threat to the health of the American public, our economy and our military (where do you think our military gets most of its pharmaceuticals?).
Do you know what’s in that little brown bottle you get from your drug store? Odds are whatever it is, it came from China where quality controls may be nonexistent, regulations are not enforced and documentation falsified. China Rx is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read!
"The truth is that history will judge free trade with China, rather than fair trade, to have been a blunder of truly historic proportions from which America will never recover."

[Jim Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended. Compelling stories, meticulously researched. Expect that the problem is much more widespread than we believe, since it is relatively easy to attribute a failed response to a medication or an untoward reaction as part of the patient's pathophysiology or an idiosyncratic event. Was surprised to learn that the lot numbers of drugs are rarely recorded as part of the medication administration record, more than a decade after events with contaminated heparin. Without such a chain of evidence, makes it nearly impossible to identify an intermittent and often small signal within a very noisy healthcare system.

[Marianne K · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter clued me into the fact that 80 per cent of the medicine sold in the US contains active ingredients manufacture in China. The pharmaceutical companies quietly laid off thousands of chemists and moved production as well as research/development to China over the past twenty years. Notice even though costs were lowered for the companies, prices for drugs that the consumer paid did not drop. China does not have the same rigorous FDA standards as the US nor the same anti-corrupt (or cleanliness) culture as the US. This book was a real eye-opener.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

ChinaRX is a well researched book that goes in depth about how America has become dependent on China for pharmaceutical needs.

My one criticism with the book however IS the big focus on China. Although it is touched on how corporate greed has played a factor in our dependence, it does not place enough emphasis on it. It's OUR American companies that have decided the offshoring of jobs involving medication and medical devices is worth the risk of low quality products for our consumers. It's OUR American companies lobbying for less transparency when it comes to consumer access to their own medication information. It's OUR American government that has decided the FDA (an organization that was created with the intent that America would create medications here in our country) will take on being in charge of the quality of most of our medication that's now imported.

The book felt very "China bad" but a lot of the points made could be traced back to us - we are criticizing the snake that we have fed and continue to, and not only in healthcare.

Still a good read but I wish it had drove that point home more. Our companies don't care if you die if it'll make them a buck, and the people representing you in your government are usually right there with them.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book details a problem that affects every American. “China Rx” is an extremely well-researched & well written book. I learned that most medications in our medicine cabinets come from or contain ingredients from China. So if China decided to stop exporting, so we should ask, how long would it be before we run out of medication?

“China Rx” details the fact that China controls the world production of every one of this country’s supply of prescription medicines & over the counter drugs. Also ‘Big Pharma” also moved to China to avoid FDA inspections of their manufacturing facilities. In the US, facilities may be inspected without any warning every 3 years, but in China with Congress cutting inspection funds, the FDA may only inspect every 5-10 years & with some, not at all.

I don’t think I’ll get over reading this book. Now I look with suspicion at my prescriptions, vitamins as well as a growing list of foods that I consume. You should read this disturbing book.

[Preston Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every American NEEDS.. not *should* .. *NEEDS* to read this. ASAP

[Nick Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given China’s release of its COVID-19 virus that caused the global pandemic and China’s subsequent restrictions on shipping supplies to the U.S. to fight said pandemic, this book was spot on. Published two years before this Wuhan virus, the authors of this book deserve the first place “I TOLD YOU SO” award.

[Ryan Manganiello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that makes me envy the ignorant, the non-readers and fools of the world who get their satisfaction from watching idiots like the Kardashian’s live out their meaningless lives on reality television, and who are blind to the atrocities going on in the world around us.

It’s hard to believe that we as a nation, the greatest nation on Earth (United States of America), get so many of the things that we consume and inject into our own bodies to keep us alive and healthy from a country that absolutely hates us, a communist country to boot… that would no doubt love to see our way-of-life destroyed forever.

The Chinese are successfully killing most United States citizens and other non-communist countries citizens slowly, via the meat and pharmaceutical medicines they create and import into our countries due to greed.

Companies don’t care what’s in the finished products from China, so long as it doesn’t cost them as much to make, and so long as they don’t have to worry about regulations, or worker safety.

If you want the terrible truth, a truth so hard to swallow… this is the book for you.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this book because almost everyone takes some type of medicine, supplements, or vitamins. A great many people use medical devices. Many people eat chicken. Most people use toothpaste. Lots of people have pets whose food ingredients come from China.

Find out how China is slowly taking over the production of our pharmaceuticals. It is very disturbing but hopefully this country can change things around if it isn't already too late.

I know I've been looking more closely at labels and writing to my vitamin companies to ask them where the ingredients are sourced. Some are forthright while others beat around the bush and say it's too "complicated" for us ordinary folks to understand. Please!! If you're not going to be forthright I'm not buying your vitamins!

Be informed. Read this book. I have no affiliation with the book or the authors. This is my own personal opinion.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vitamin C, other vitamins, antibiotics, cancer drugs, antidepressants, blood pressure meds, blood thinners, hip and other medical devices -- the list goes on and they're all made in China. Our military can't even buy all of the meds necessary for our troops from US pharmaceutical companies because they no longer make them. This important, well researched book illustrates how the US has gone from setting global standards for manufacturing safe medicine to abetting a Chinese strategy to become the single global source for it all. The Chinese make core ingredients; they're shipped elsewhere for finishing, wind up with a Made in US label. [My note: Over the last two years, the FDA has recalled multiple lots of contaminated blood pressure drugs sold under various US labels. It's not surprising that so many companies are affected because they're all getting most of the same basic ingredients from China and the FDA can't always inspect Chinese plants for safety.]

[Quanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

China Controls Americans Health

I normally say read what you want, but this is a book that should be read by everyone. Prescription drugs, vitamins, and even simple aspirins are from China. They undercut American pharma until U.S companies go out of business and then China jacks up the prices because they are they only game in town. American government officials do nothing because they want to be good global neighbors. Meanwhile, U.S scientists are being put out of work so China can be the innovators with America's blessings . Pill bottles say who distributed them, not who made them. China Controls our health and pocketbook. And, they're also moving into our food industry. That chicken nugget you ate may be from an unclean China processing plant.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful book that shows how the US has lost control of our pharmaceuticals and over the counter meds to China. The FDA has little control over their plants and safety of the chemical processes while having the burden of trying to stop fake or contaminated drugs/ ingredients at our border. This should be a must read, especially for representatives in Congress. Very well written.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book of human interest, as it sounded like an intriguing book.

What happened when I started reading was something completely different.

I don't think a book has taught me something so shocking for a while.

Parts of this book was downright eye-opening.

I had no idea of so much of the contents of this book.

I learned a lot, and would highly recommend!

4.9/5

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend to the amateur economist & PhD student alike. My favorite part is the multi-level solution that is laid out in the final chapters of the book.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Without firing a missile or hacking the electric grid, China can take America down by disrupting access to essential drugs.”

If you take medicines, eat chicken, or buy pet food, you need to read China Rx. For decades, belief in the superiority and benefits of free enterprise worldwide has blinded corporations and the U. S. government. Factories and industries were built in China to produce articles not only for American consumption but also for consumption by the huge Chinese market ($$). China is seeking world domination in key industrial sectors by taking shortcuts and inviting companies to invest there, but the government is simultaneously using the knowledge acquired to create national industries. The wily Chinese government has insisted at every turn that more and more concessions be made and that trade secrets and proprietary information be turned over for the use of Chinese industry, while at the same time establishing competing Chinese industries to undercut the American and European companies who made huge investments there. In some cases, theft of trade secrets by criminal cartels is state-sponsored. Although there are courts in the West that would provide recourse to such illegal and unfair practices, in China these courts usually have a pre-determined outcome: whatever the government dictates.

As they have done with so many industries already, China has done the same with the pharmaceutical industry and the manufacture of medical devices. Imagine all the millions of Chinese who don’t use traditional medicine or acupuncture. Who’s going to sell that country’s rising middle class the billions of dollars in medicines they will be needing as they too start suffering from the lifestyle diseases we have in the West? That was the lure, and American free enterprise fell for it.

Although India has until recently produced a large share of the generics coming to the U.S., China also wants to corner this market. Most of the active ingredients used to make medicines, even when the final product is made in the U.S., come from China.

The book begins with the heparin scare in 2007-2008 that caused the deaths of several patients in the U.S. They had received contaminated medicines with ingredients from China. Although the FDA has been conducting inspections of pharmaceutical factories in China for some years as a way to reassure American consumers that Chinese pharmaceuticals are safe, this is just as long as there are no surprise inspections. However, there are too many factories for the inspectors to do a good job. China suggests that maybe Chinese inspectors need to inspect U.S. plants as an argument to say that they can create their own government inspections agency. However, quality controls are lacking in many areas of industry in China. International regulations are not followed and there are no consequences for not following them.

Reliance on China for medicines is strategically a mistake. They could be the actors behind lethal doses of anthrax to mass sectors of the population, and either provide or withhold the Cipro needed to combat it. Should the U.S. military really be so reliant on pharmaceuticals from China? Is it really necessary in the case of a mass outbreak of illness in the U.S. to be subject to the whims of a foreign power that has stated that its mission is to be the dominant superpower? When the essential medicines are lacking, will the U.S. be obliged to make concessions to China in other areas like diplomacy or technology so that it can save the lives of its citizens?

The picture this book paints is scary. And there should be real concern regarding whether or not the government is preparing for some of the worst-case scenarios.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about U.S. outsourcing of drug manufacture which may seem to make short-term economic sense but can lead to dangerous consequences for health and the economy.

It begins with a report of how contaminated lots of heparin, a blood-thinning medication used by twelve million people annually, caused the deaths of four people and injured hundreds more. It was obtained by the Illinois company Baxter Healthcare, but sourced from China, which controlled 70% of the world market in 2015. The drug is obtained from pig intestines. The authors report that pharmaceutical manufacturing in China does not necessarily meet the standards of the FDA, which is authorized to inspect foreign drug facilities, but is limited by its budget, and by, in some cases, stonewalling of the foreign companies. One message of the book is that more oversight of such facilities is needed.

The concerns of the book are larger, however. They describe how China’s state-controlled economy aspires to dominate the drug supply industry. Labor is cheaper and regulations less strict. But once production of substances like vitamin C and penicillin are off-shored to China, making domestic production uncompetitive, it is then able to raise the prices in typical cartel behavior. The usual legal remedies are not necessarily available if the Chinese producers are able to claim that their government requires them to sell at a certain price. The authors reasonably assert that it is intolerable to have the supply of essential medicines at the mercy of an unfriendly state.

I will quote from a chapter near the end:

In testimony before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Jeffrey Johnson, president and chief executive officer of cybersecurity firm SquirrelWerkz, presented and analysis of the breadth and depth of China’s systematic cyber-economic campaigns to gain control of strategic global industries and supply chains. Based on his incisive investigations of twenty industries that are among those targeted by China’s campaigns, Johnson revealed a common pattern in the Chinese government strategy:

These campaigns consist of state-sponsored and supported criminal cartels focused on leveraging cyber-enabled espionage and sabotage to execute industry-wide fraud, market manipulation, and anti-trust schemes designed to accelerate China’s entry and domination of each key global industry.

China’s aim is to assert monopoly-like control of key industries and the global economy by infiltrating companies, research enterprises, and governments to gain insider access to sensitive intellectual property, Johnson said.

In a 2021 appendix, the authors note that government hearings, based partly on this book, have been held, and that “many” of its recommendations are being implemented. More effort is being made to ensure domestic production of essential medicines. It seems certain to increase the domestic price of medication. It will be interesting to see if this trend can continue amid the inevitable demand for lower costs.

[Sarah Ewald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening and frightening book. This was written in 2018, and I would be interested to know if anything has changed.

The book started out with stories of several patients whose lives were changed (and lost) due to faulty Heparin that was distributed by an American company, but whose ingredients had been gotten from China. It goes to another example, of all things, toothpaste that was made in China, that contained a cheap substitute for glycerin.

"Pharmaceutical grade glycerin is fairly pricy, and the antifreeze you can get down at the dollar store. So, you know, it tastes the same, it looks the same. It is just one will kill you, and one is perfectly safe."

It goes on to cite examples of melamine fund in dog and cat foot (2007) that poisoned up to 4,000 dogs and cats, with 50,000 sickened.

It goes on to tell about the FDA and toothless legislation that allow ingredients for our medicines to come from China with no oversight and inspections given to factories the manufacture them. None, absolutely none, of the inspections that facilities in the US are required. If they are inspected in China, inspectors are delayed until the facility is 'cleaned up.'

This book will make you cringe as you will wonder if the medications that you take, or are administered in the hospital are faulty.

An attorney who advises US companies that conduct business in China said this to the authors:

"My wife is a Chinese-born engineer. A good friend of mine in China is a US-trained biochemist who works for a drug manufacturer in Shanghai. I mentioned your question to them today. They both said, 'I would not take a drug that I knew was manufactured in China.' These people are not ignorant peasants. They are both highly-trained scientists/engineers. This shows what this is all like for us folks who live in China. We all think the Americans are a bit naïve. There is a reason for the China price."

Another quote from a CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is equally alarming:

"If we ever did get into an era of bio-warfare, and the enemy was distributing viruses or bacteria to society, and it was the source of the drug to fight those bugs, you could find yourself in deep trouble. You can think about it with troops who might be a likely subject of a bio warhead, as well as citizens and the impact on cities."
Assuring the quality of medicines is equally important, Levy says,
"All you have to do is degrade the potency of the drug and no one will notice. Imagine a situation where a country had a surrogate that was doing something bad to our society or other country in the world, and they could be pretending to provide you with the antibiotic, but they could have intentionally degraded the potency so we wouldn't know it is not working. We're taking pills thinking they're curing us and they are not Or maybe they're intentionally poisoning us."

It makes you think about the relationship of China and Russia...

[John Szalasny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitle this book "How to Scare Your Pants Off During a Pandemic". To think, less than 20 years ago, the United States led the world in pharmaceuticals. Now, a majority of the world's drug supply (including most of our generics) are made in China.

The book first outlines how China strategically planned to steal technology from western companies by inviting them to open shop in China with a Chinese partner (what could be better than opening commerce with 1/4 of the earth's population?). After a period, the western partner is forced out of the picture by low cost copycat versions of their product, which has the exclusive rights in China. Copyright laws in China are a joke, and the best word for their government quality control (like our FDA) is "nacent".

Next, the book reviews how dominant the Chinese market share is, including most of our antibiotics and all of the drug Heparin. Those who have been to the hospital, or have a heart condition know this is a vital drug for the health care system as it is a blood thinner that is used to flush out IV lines for patients. In the case of Heparin, not only have they monopolized the supply chain, they have also vertically integrated their root supply (pig intestines) through strategic purchases in companies like Smithfield (a leading US pork/ham producer).

Drugs are not the only world monopoly that China has (they also have monopolies on a number of rare earth elements vital for computers and guidance systems on missiles). All of these lead up to a silent national strategic disaster if China decides to weaponize their supply chain. It has happened as recently as a few years ago in a dispute with Japan. China withheld rare earth elements in a territorial waters dispute. What if our current pandemic was created in a lab by China (for you conspiracy theorists, it wasn't)? A future disease could be spread, and entire world economies could be destroyed while the Chinese have the cure? Dystopian, maybe, but a very realistic possibility now that western companies have given a technology poor country in 1990 all the tools and skilled workers to do this.

If you are in the pharmaceutical industry, read this to better arm your lobbying efforts. If you are in government (at any level), read this to give US and European companies the tools needed to compete with a player who does not play by the rules. And, although not in the book, copyright law changes will not fix the system (unless it allows generic formulations to enter the market sooner) as the biggest offender at this time does not acknowledge these international laws unless it is in favor of a Chinese business.

[Wanda Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to the recent COVID-19 virus and the information regarding our medications coming from China I had a lot of questions and this book looked like a good place to start to find answers. What I came away with was a lot of shocking information and even more questions than when I began. Either directly, or indirectly, this book affects every American. If you take a drug, a vitamin, have a pace maker, artificial joint, had a CT scan or MRI, or even if you eat chicken nuggets then you may have been subjected to contact with China. In some cases, there is 100% chance that you were. Many active and inactive ingredients in our drugs come from China, are shipped to the U.S., added to our drugs, and then packaged as if they were made in good old America. Our FDA, who are extremely strict with American companies who produce drugs, have often never set foot in a Chinese manufacturing plant and if they did it is more than likely that nothing was done. China's plan is to be the Pharmacist to the World by 2025 and they are well on their way with no one standing in their path. Like many people I asked, how did this happen? It goes back many years and, of course, the reason is money for our side. On China's side it is money and power. If they control the drug market then they control the world. Their big break came in 2000 when President Bill Clinton stated that "It would be a mistake to reject normal trade relations with China" and signed the U.S.-China Trade Relations Act of 2000. With the stroke of a pen we now have a situation from which we may never recover. Also, like many people, I asked, how has this gone on for so long without the public being made aware that our country was selling it's soul to the devil. Turns out that many of our major news outlets such as Disney, CBS, and NBC, etc. are in large part owned by China! China also owns major hospital groups such as Community Health whose base in in Tennessee but have branches in several other states. Rest assured they will be stocking the shelves with brands from China. The authors go into several other areas that will leave every reader amazed such as the drugs given to our vets and soldiers. If China decides to withhold necessary medications, or to taint the meds they do send,then our country is in big trouble. The book was written in 2018 but one scenario mentioned was, what if China created a virus and then withheld or tainted the medication to treat it. Just wow! This is an easy book to read and it breaks the situation down in an easy to follow way. Don't miss this one if you have questions, too.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

China RX lays out our dependence on China. This book was published in 2018. The book outlines our knowledge of our dependence on China for components for our medications, and our dependence on China for medications. Sound like 95% or so of our meds originate in China in one way or another.

Apparently in 2011 the facts came looming at us. US dependence on China was evident to researchers after 911 when Heparin was discovered laced with contaminents. As time has moved forward other discoveries, for instance, when a pattern was formed of extreme reactions and death testing was performed and arsinic was found in meds. A pattern of irregularities continued to occur and those instances the trail of evidence led back to China.

So, alot was discovered back in 2011. The evidence of US need to bring back the manufacture of
drugs, in particular, to the US became clear. Yet it's now 2020 and not much as changed. There is alot of information in this book rarely discussed openly in the news. It's shocking to me how much
China has created a web of dependency in our marketplace. Even our newspapers and news programs lead back to connections to China according to Janardan Prasad Singh.

We are 6 months into a Pandemic that has put its clutches in to people across the globe and the
reason for this Pandemic leads back to China. So . . . . read this book, we need to do our part as Americans to buy anything but products that originate in China. We need to make our country strong again. We need to manufacture right here in the USA! The cost of continuing on the path
we are on won't end well.

READ THIS BOOK!! Look for the facts yourself! You can do something to be part of a change!

Thanks for exposing the risks of America's dependence on China in CHINA RX!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this information is troubling. China has acquired a monopoly over the production of pharmaceutical drugs and medical equipment. Whereas 20 years ago, drugs were manufactured in the US, Japan, and Europe, the world is now dependent on China for medicine. This poses an obvious problem in the event of a conflict or dispute with China. Now that the supply chain is dependent on one country, there are supply disruptions that we didn't use to have. (This book was written before the PPE shortage in Spring 2020 that spotlighted the global dependence on China for these products.) Also, drug purity and safety standards in China are low, and there have been serious issues with contaminated, unsafe drugs entering the US market. Then there is the broader issue of the loss of middle class jobs in the US due to China's dominance in manufacturing and now increasingly research and development.

One theme here is the inherent disadvantage a democracy has in dealing with a country like China. China has a clear long-term goal. But while there is bipartisan agreement in the US that our dependency on China for medicine is a problem, we don't have a coordinated strategy for addressing it. Our corporations are focused on short-term profit, and our government policy is swayed by competing business lobbyists. We've all clearly been unduly optimistic about the prospects for selling American products in China. And, of course, our news media are simply not good at reporting on long-term foreign policy issues.

The authors propose reasonable policies: strengthening the FDA's oversight, incentivizing domestic drug manufacturing, etc. Hopefully the problems unearthed during the pandemic can spur us to sustained action.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written easy to understand book about China and the issues with them making many of Americas Generic Drugs and providing the active and inactive ingredients to make these drugs in other countries (including America) without a indication of origin reflecting China as the source country. Also, the problem of China have basically Untested manufacture/refinement of these important chemistry by the US FDA (it's almost impossible to inspect in China at the cost of our FDA agency operations). Also, China is a military opponent of the US but the US Military purchases needed drugs from China and so does the rest of US. And finally, and possibly the scariest scenario, we are now in a trade war with China and it's possible we've stopped the ability to produce some (or many) of the active ingredients in medically necessary drugs. Heparin is prominently mentioned through the book Including horror stories of cost cutting in China causing American Deaths. For everyone taking pharmaceutical drugs or have friends and family dependent on them... this book is an eye opener. I've read many horror stories fictional and real about medical conditions (e.g. in Hot Zones) but the often unthinkable condition is Not having pharma (or medical equipment) to treat conditions because it's being denied to US by China. We all hope the sharp people working with and for POTUS Trump have had more than a few years to consider this author's premise.
I recommend this book for anyone who don't put their head in a hole to avoid bad news! QED

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book every American should read. This book should be mandatory reading for all of our elected officials, especially those who hold high national office. The authors show how almost all of the manufacturing of medicines have been shipped overseas to India and China. China has now become the dominant force in the world of medicines and the United States is the poorer for it. China manufactures 19 of the necessary medicines for the U.S. military. That we allowed an adversary to manufacture 100% of the medicines our military requires is a national disgrace. Also revealed is the United States no longer manufactures any penicillin in our country. China prevents to a large degree the FDA into the country to inspect its manufacturing sites and as we have seen with the spread of COVID-19 how dependent we are not just on medicines but also on equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). I pray this book and the lessons we learn from the spread of this contagion will prompt our elected leaders to discontinue farming out the production of these products to outside countries, especially those who desire our demise. China is taking over other areas of our economy, all to their benefit and our harm. This is a must read for every U.S. citizen

[Dillon Redd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enlightening book given the current circumstances with the Coronavirus and its leveling effect on the global economy. China is the worst. Well, their government at least, nothing against the people.

I was really shocked by how the government of China is taking advantage of our businesses and consumers. China's influence grows while crippling American industry and putting our people at risk. The way that China has been able to turn the Beef and Chicken industries on each other was at once very clever and very frightening.

I cannot give the book a full five-star review because it is very boring at parts. I only read it because I was unemployed at the time. To be fair I couldn't expect any better given the subject matter and I am truly glad I read it because I learned a lot.

[Bill V · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an eye-opening read. Prior to reading this I had never given any thought to how vital safeguarding medical supplies is to national security. This is especially true given that the nation the United States is increasingly dependent upon for these drugs and devices is China; a nation the United States has at best an uneasy relationship with. It was surprising to read how the Chinese leverage unrelated fields, such as American beef exports, into concessions for letting them import chicken into the United States. Combine all this with China stealing intellectual property, stacking their legal system again outsiders and impeding foreign competition to gain a worldwide edge and its obvious steps need to be taken to protect long term American prosperity.

[Brian Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will frighten you - and it should. We have outsourced one of out most valuable commodities to China - the making of the necessary pharmaceuticals that we depend on daily. Penicillin and it derivatives, such as amoxicillin - no longer made in the USA - and that includes its building block components. Heparin, vital for most surgeries to prevent blood clots, now made in China. A component of heparin is made from the tissue of pigs. The largest pig producer in the USA is Smithfield Farms - now owned by China. We need to bring this vital commodity back to our shores so we have a source to protect our future - I do not trust China any longer, especially for something so vital.

[Gunnar Esiason · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt ChinaRx is thoughtful, well researched and written well. It is a series of complaints, anecdotes and case studies about globalization’s affect on pharmaceuticals in the US. What frustrated me was the lack of concrete data or examples beyond industry and special interest group interviews. That pain point, however, is really the thesis of the book: the lack of transparency in the drug market has led to gross consequences in the quality of generic drugs. The book leaves some to be despised, but nonetheless paints globalization as a direct threat to America’s drug supply. At very least, the authors make a compelling argument.