This raw and candid story by Gwen Olsen, a former pharmaceutical sales representative, combines an emotional personal narrative with thorough research backed up by statistics, scientific data, court cases and cases studies. Not only will Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher give readers a birds-eye view of the pharmaceutical industry from an former sales rep that peddled these drugs, it satisfies the mind’s desire for the due diligence that delivers factual and unbiased answers.

Gwen Olsen explains the ins and outs of her former job, how the more sales that pharmaceutical reps like her made, the more they were financially rewarded. This was despite the fact that many of these drugs had been through inadequate testing to understand their long-term effects. She urges patients to be their own advocate, asking questions about any drugs they are prescribed, regarding potential risks and details of clinical trials.

Olsen also tells this story from her perspective as a former victim of the adverse effects of pharmaceutical drugs, and as the aunt to a young woman that committed suicide after a tortured life spent on a plethora of prescription drugs that left her despondent at the very end. Olsen gives her personal stories authority in Confessions of a Drug Pusher by also providing thorough information she gathered about this industry, such as “Prescription drug use has become the third-largest killer of Americans behind heart disease and cancer,” and “more than 180,000 people die annually from the effects of legal drugs.”

About the Author

Gwen Olsen spent fifteen years working as a sales representative for pharmaceutical giants such as McNeil Pharmaceutical, Syntex Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Abbott Labs, and Forest Laboratories. She spent most of her career as a hospital rep and specialist rep, educating residents in hospital teaching settings and selling prescription drugs to various doctors. She is now using her unique perspective gained from her professional and personal experiences with pharmaceuticals to help expose Big Pharma, and their greed, corruption and marketing tactics. Olsen is a passionate mental health activist, speaker and writer.

Reviews

Robert Whitaker, author of Anatomy of an Epidemic:

“In Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher, Gwen Olsen brings together the knowledge of an “insider” trained to sell doctors on the merits of pills; the personal experience of having taken psychiatric medications and seen how they altered her life; and the deep grief of having lost her niece—following her treatment with psychiatric medications—to suicide. This book has both an intellectual and emotional punch that readers will long remember.”

Dr. Ben Lerner, chiropractor and New York Times bestselling author of Body by God:

“It is easy to disregard prescription drug deaths, medical errors, and U.S. health care crisis statistics as just numbers. However, they are not. In a well researched, impeccably documented, finely written manner Gwen Olsen has given us account of the gripping details of real people hurt by the failures of modern health care. A former pharmaceutical representative herself, the information is as credible as it is compelling. It is vital for those currently taking prescription medication to read and understand this book.”

Meria Heller, producer/host of The Meria Heller Show:

“When you realize what is being sold to you as a “remedy” you will realize how you are playing Russian Roulette with yours and your children’s lives. This book is a MUST read for every American and every parent in the country.”