How One Woman Took On 'Big Pharma' and (Mostly) Won
As a sales rep for drug manufacturers Questcor, Lisa Pratta always suspected the company’s business practices weren’t just immoral but illegal, too, as she explains in “False Claims — One Insider’s Impossible Battle Against Big Pharma Corruption” (William Morrow).
But this was the final straw...
“[Pratta’s] story and internal conflict are laid out in full, from her idealism about health care at the beginning of her career through her disillusionment and fight to reveal the dangerous, money-driven rot in the system...The realities of America’s profit-driven health care system laid bare by an insider." — Kirkus Reviews
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In this passionate debut, former pharmaceutical sales rep Pratta recounts her efforts to bring one of her employers to justice... In the end, Questor’s parent company, Mallinckrodt, agreed to settle with the federal government, though Pratta acknowledges that what disturbed her—“the kickbacks, the bribes, the off-label prescription use”—continues at other companies. Still, her pride in becoming “a person who had the ability to stand up for others” resonates. This is both an illuminating up-close look at how corruption works and a moving account of one person discovering her strength. — Publishers Weekly
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"Lisa Pratta’s remarkable account of Big Pharma greed is a testament to her courage as a corporate insider turned whistleblower. False Claims is a page-turning exposè set against the background of Pratta’s steadfast refusal to capitulate to a drug company’s strong-arm pressure. It is a must read for anyone interested in knowing how America’s drug industry puts profits ahead of patients." — Publisher's Weekly
The Book
For the first time, Lisa Pratta shares her story of going undercover as a whistleblower at a Big Pharma company and standing up to systemic corruption, greed, and harassment—all while caring for her special needs son as a single mother.
When Lisa Pratta started her career as a pharmaceutical sales representative, she had no idea of the industry’s depravity, and the endemic sexual harassment, bribery, and fraud she witnessed only got worse over time.
Lisa hoped that might all change when she landed her dream job with a small company called Questcor which sold a drug that, when prescribed correctly, could help patients with multiple sclerosis. Yet Questcor realized they could make more money prescribing the drug incorrectly.
About Lisa
Lisa Pratta is a former top-selling pharmaceutical and biotech sales representative turned whistleblower. She is the author of FALSE CLAIMS, the true story of her eight years living a double life working in biotech sales while reporting off-label prescriptions and Medicare fraud to the United States government. Lisa has been featured in the The New York Post among other media outlets, where she continues her fight against Big Pharma corruption and for healthcare reform.
Lisa is a New Jersey native, an honors graduate of Albright College, and single mother to a special-needs son.