What an extraordinarily brave and patient woman. I'm grateful that the author told this true story of her uncovering and reporting the dishonest practices of a pharmaceutical company. A propulsive read.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this riveting eARC.

5 stars for this must-read expose by Lisa Pratta. The minute this hit the shelves I purchased a copy for my family members who work for decades in the healthcare system.

If you are looking for a true, albeit shocking and eye opening and important read which impacts us all check out this fascinating book.

Lisa Pratta could not have done better. This book had me hooked from the first page. The thrilling, in a thriller type of way was insane. Lisa Pratta 100% could have been a thriller author, but she wasn't. She worked for Big Pharma Corporations. In fact, eventually her corporation she worked for eventually crossed the line.

The chapters are the perfect amount, just enough to keep you hooked. Once I started this book, it was impossible to put it down. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about this book.

Please remember going into this book that this is a true story, and everything is based off of true events.

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-Arc.

I absolutely loved this book! This was so well written and told a story that needs to be told more. From beginning to end, I couldn't put the book down.

By now everyone knows about the corruption buried deep within the pharmaceutical world as it relates to the sale and pushing of opioids. Hearing that these same schemes are utilized across the board, such as for MS medication, is both heartbreaking and captivating. Lisa tells this story beautifully, weaving scientific and legal information with her personal story and managing to never get too far into the weeds of any of it. She is a great storyteller, taking the reader along with her on the difficult journey of being a whistleblower. Her fear, bravery, exhaustion and full range of emotions come through on every page. I can't say enough good things!!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many opportunities for greed to show its ugly face in the world and Lisa Pratta is able to capture and give insight to the greed that exists within pharma.

The writing style is choppy and some of the facts and scenarios seem questionable. Her perspective also shows her motivation for financial gain through bigger paychecks and hopeful large sum payouts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

If you enjoy books that expose big pharma, like the J&J story “No More Tears”, then you’ll love this one as well. The author worked in the industry for many years and trusted that the companies she worked for were genuinely concerned with patients well-being. But at the company she worked for in this book, she quickly learned profits come before people. She turned double agent, working for the FDA in an attempt to stop the unethical practices she witnessed daily. It takes place over many years as it took her quite a few to gather enough info for the govt to be willing to get involved. It was still many more years later before she would see justice, even though it was not the outcome she wanted. This was a really good book that was hard to put down. Highly recommend it. I received an advance copy in return for my honest opinion.

In another episode of Big Pharma behaving badly, we have False Claims.

Written in a memoir-like style, author Lisa Pratta details her time working for Questcor as a sales representative for a medication they acquired called Acthar Gel. Pratta and a co-worker ultimately become whistleblowers after uncovering deceptive marketing practices, bribes, and other unlawful behavior being encouraged at the company.

Earlier this year, I read No More Tears by Gardiner Harris (which I highly recommend if you’re interested in learning more about unethical practices in the pharmaceutical industry). False Claims is a more digestible read by comparison. Pratta writes from a first-person perspective, taking us through her journey—from being hired and trained to becoming disillusioned. She also shares personal reflections from that time in her life, including her experiences as a mother and cancer survivor.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy of False Claims.

Lisa Pratta was a drug rep who became a whistle blower exposing Big Pharma fraud and greed. In False Claims, she shares her professional, legal, and personal story. I’m sure the corruption is no surprise to anyone, but it’s fascinating (and horrifying, and important) to read about.

The writing was very informal and left me with some questions, but I think it’s right to be more forgiving with memoirs because her POV is worth reading. Overall, this was a very quick, engaging, and eye opening read that I recommend.

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC!

White collar crime and a memoir. I knew this book would be perfect for me!

The story follows the life of a whistleblower in big pharma. The author brings you on her journey from first beginning with the company through the criminal proceedings. Being a whistleblower is challenging, and the author wrote with authenticity. You’re there with her during the obstacles as she gathered evidence against her employer. She also writes fondly of her son and her own health struggles. It’s a very well written and interesting memoir.

False Claims is the story of Lisa Pratta. Lisa was a pharmaceutical sales representative for Questcor who marketed a drug aimed at helping patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Lisa joined the company when it was very small and amping up to really push their drug into the neurological market. It was a drug previously used for infant seizures. As Lisa attended the initial trainings, she noted red flags popping up. She was, at this point, a seasoned sales person despite her new position at this company. What first tweaked Lisa’s curiosity was the fact that Questcor was telling its reps to market the drug to physicians as a 5 day course of treatment when in actuality, for the drug to be effective for MS flares, it was to be used for 2-3 weeks. As Lisa progressed in her job, she was careful to stick to her morals and ultimately made the decision to move forward with cooperating with the government to help bring to light the unethical, illegal, and unhealthy practices of Questcor. This was an alarming story that has become all too common in the big pharma world and packs a brutal punch. As Lisa discusses in the book, the same company that purchased Questcor was also investigated for the opioid epidemic. While opioids have been and are still a major issue in our nation, it must not take away from the other abuses happening in our healthcare system. Without the reporting and assistance of the dedicated and extremely brave decisions of the author, one more story of big pharma abuse would be swept under the rug. As stressed by the author, it is so very important to do research when confronting a medical obstacle. Not that physicians can’t be trusted, but the patient has to know to ask questions, not back down from gut feelings, and educate themselves to the best of their ability. We are our own advocates and we have to fight for ourselves because no one else will. This story is definitely proof of that.

I read this in one day. As someone who has a hard time focusing on physically reading that means a lot. Lisa Pratta’s story is cinematic, and her storytelling is engaging. She jokes that she has the gift of gab, and I will say it pays off as she takes time to explain things in layperson terms, and keeps the narrative interesting at full steam ahead. Think of your best friend keeping you up to date on a high profile case. At every pause you want to say, “And what happened next” eagerly waiting for more details. However, the details are worse than you think. Everything you thought you knew about Big Pharma was just the tip of the iceberg.

Insider Lightly Describes Pig-Pharma Corruptions
Lisa Pratta, False Claims: One Insider’s Impossible Battle Against Big Pharma Corruption (New York: William Morrow: HarperCollins Publishers, June 3, 2025). Hardcover: $30. 288pp, 6X9”. ISBN: 978-0-063371-10-1.
***
“…Lives are secondary to profit margins. But Lisa Pratta stood her ground—risking everything to expose the lies of a billion-dollar pharmaceutical business mired in deception, greed, and the systemic abuse of both patients and employees. As a rising star in pharmaceutical sales, Lisa Pratta wanted to believe that she was helping improve the lives of people who suffered from illness. But as she climbed the corporate ladder, she uncovered a sinister world of bribery, fraud, and sexual harassment—all papered over with a thin veneer of corporate respectability. At Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Lisa found herself at a small company with a blockbuster drug that could have been a lifeline for patients suffering from multiple sclerosis—that is, if it was prescribed properly. But instead, Questcor chose profits over patients, training its sales force to push untested treatment regimens with the sole purpose of beating its competition. Lisa recognized this as not only dangerous but highly illegal. In the midst of this controversy, Questcor arbitrarily inflated the drug’s price to a jaw-dropping $28,000 per vial. Torn between her morals and the financial stability the job provided for her special-needs son, Lisa made a decision that would change her life forever: she reported the fraudulent practices of the company to the federal government. For nearly a decade, she led a double life—feeding insider information to the Department of Justice while enduring the relentless demands of her company to sell their drug using illegal marketing tactics.” The slowness of such investigations into misconduct (a decade!) is one of the reasons they keep committing corporate maleficence. Is the government blackmailing corporations during this interim by pocketing a portion of their ill-gotten profits? If not, why would they let these problems continue mostly unchanged for this long? “She faced constant fear of exposure, knowing that the government offered her no protection if her secrets were revealed.” Why exactly is there no protection from the government? Most thrillers tend to offer “protection” with a paid-for mansion, new life, and the like. But in reality, it seems somebody must bribe somebody to receive this special “protection” package. In my experience, reporting on corporate misdeeds usually goes entirely ignored at agencies. They standard is to do nothing. This woman probably forced their hand by sticking with these reports of new misdeeds for a decade until some new guy came in, and asked why nobody was doing anything about this ancient case. “Nonetheless, Lisa pressed on, determined to hold Questcor accountable for the laws they were breaking and the lives they were endangering. This incredible true story offers a sobering look at the unscrupulous sales methods used by America’s corrupt pharmaceutical industry, spotlights the levers they pull to extract ludicrous profits from the sick and dying…”
The cover catches attention. The yellow against gray color scheme is perfect for the subject. The crack in the bottle over a title printed as if it is a medicine-label is original. The strange bottle-type used, instead of a standard plastic pill-bottle is also curious. Overall, a successful cover-design.
The “Prologue: Merchants of Hope” begins by explaining that the “hero” of this story is also its author. This was not clear in the third-person book summary. While this is a curious surprise, then she puffs her ability as a “listener” and a talker, instead of getting on with the story. She notes she is worried about her busy schedule selling the wrong prescription quantities, as she contemplates a first report. She insists a colleague at this company nearly-forced her to do it, as opposed to her having a heroic urge to proceed. When she describes a meeting, she focuses on the many meetings she had in restaurants for pharma-sales. This is pretty much a horrid start. And why is this section called “Merchants of Hope”: given how she says she liked her job for most of it, it seems to be a puffery, rather than a criticism. A lot of hot-air content follows that does not really say anything substantial.
A quarter into this book, “bribe” is mentioned for the first time: “We had an unlimited budget to hand out gift cards to the desk staff to get us in to see the doctor. It wasn’t a bribe—it’s a gift card…” She clarifies she was aware it was illegal to “buy” her “way into medical practices”, but this was the only way for her to land sales. The surrounding text includes empty dialogue around this general theme, without clear new details on how this scheme worked. A few more general accusations appear in the following pages about being “neck-deep in bribes, kickbacks, and off-label prescriptions”. These are not supported with explanations either. Basically the idea related is that “reps who gave gift cards and paid speakers fees had the high sales numbers.” Pages later, an investigator asks Lisa to be more specific, so she said that “when a patient has a flare-up or an attack, the call goes to a nurse. They get ahold of the electronic medical records of the physical char and see what the patient has been taking…. Usually a nurse recommends what to prescribe.” So, they would bribe nurses instead of the “doctors themselves”.
One point that interested me in the blurb was the spike of the price to $28,000. I assumed there would be an explanation of the reasoning that went into this. Instead, Lisa simply reports that in 2000 they were charging $50, then in 2007 they went up to $1,650, and “by the time I got to Questcor, the price was $28,000 per prescription.” She notes that she felt this extreme price was a “liability” because it is likely to hurt sales, and does not explain anything about how this decision was reached, as the blurb seemed to promise it would.
This is basically an unreadable book on a very important topic. This author probably should have hired an editor to chop out most of this, and add some serious research that explains what Lisa’s personal anecdotes are vaguely describing. There are some good moments when some information is related about how corruption in this industry works. But serious researchers on this topic are unlikely to make it cover-to-cover to learn from it, and those who are seeking a thrill might find it too lacking in real action. Those in law enforcement should certainly read this book to understand what is happening. And also, pharma salespeople should be familiar with these tactics, so they cannot use ignorance as an excuse for sticking in places that favor such practices.
Pennsylvania Literary Journal: Spring 2025 issue: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-spring-2025

Given the current state of healthcare in America, False Claims by Lisa Pratta wasn’t exactly surprising—but it was still deeply unsettling. What caught me off guard wasn’t the high cost of medication, but the shocking lack of empathy and the toxic culture surrounding prescription practices within the pharmaceutical industry.

Drawing from her firsthand experience at Questcore, Pratta offers an unflinching look at a corporate environment where profits take precedence over patients. The book serves not only as an exposé of one company, but as a broader commentary on an industry obsessed with numbers and pleasing investors—often at the expense of those who can no longer afford life-saving medications.

What stood out to me most was Lisa’s writing style. She explains complex medical and corporate jargon with clarity and ease, making the book accessible without ever dumbing it down. Her storytelling is so engaging that it felt like she was right there beside me, narrating her experiences over coffee. There wasn’t a single dull moment—I flew through the pages.

Some of the conversations described between employees and leadership were jaw-dropping. I found myself pausing more than once, shocked by what was said, and even more stunned by how blindly those directives were followed—until the events of the book unfolded, and everything began to shift.

In a world where many are simply grateful for a steady paycheck, it’s heartening to see someone like Lisa choose to speak out. Her courage to stand up against a broken system is powerful and necessary, and this book is a testament to that bravery.

Big thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins Publishers for an uncorrected E-proof ARC edition. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

A Memoir of Courage and Integrity
False Claims by Lisa Pratta reveals the deep corruption within big pharmaceutical companies.

While I was always aware that big pharma was taking advantage of people’s health needs with astronomical costs, this book opened my eyes to other life-threatening issues. It’s a memoir that kept me turning the pages while making me hurt for what greed can cause people to do.

💊The Heart of the Story
This is the true story of a brave whistleblower who worked with the Department of Justice to uncover Questcor's corruption of pharmaceutical sales. Taking significant personal risks, she supported an investigation for many years, and this book documents her incredible story.

💊The Bigger Picture
Lisa helped the Department of Justice by leading a double life. She continued to work for Questcor while feeding the government inside information. Though this had to be frightening, she was determined to hold Questcor accountable for spreading false information that was gaining them income while, in some cases, endangering people’s lives.

But, it seems, it wasn’t enough to blow the whistle on this big business. Things have a way of twisting this way and that to avoid conflict.

💊In Conclusion
I highly recommend you pick this book up and read the true story of what big business is capable of. This engaging writing and story will have you experiencing some of Lisa's emotions. Definitely a worthwhile read.

My thanks to #NetGalley for an advanced ebook.

False Claims by Lisa Pratta is absolutely riveting—I literally could not put it down. I stayed up all night reading, completely pulled in by her powerful storytelling and raw honesty. What starts as a behind-the-scenes look at a promising pharmaceutical career quickly unravels into a shocking exposé of greed, corruption, and abuse at the highest levels of Big Pharma.

Lisa’s courage to blow the whistle, even while balancing the demands of raising a special-needs son and living in constant fear of exposure, is nothing short of heroic. Her journey is intense, emotional, and thought-provoking. The writing is sharp, engaging, and personal—it reads like a thriller but hits hard with truth.

If you're looking for a gripping true story that exposes the dark side of the pharmaceutical world while celebrating the strength of one woman who stood up for what’s right, False Claims is a must-read. Lisa Pratta is an incredible storyteller and an even more incredible woman.

"False Claims" by Lisa Pratta is a nonfiction account that reveals how pharmaceutical companies exploit the American public. They create loopholes that allow them to charge exorbitant prices, ultimately forcing Medicaid and Medicare to cover these inflated costs. Additionally, the book discusses how these companies manipulate doctors into prescribing expensive medications, giving patients false hope for relief from their symptoms.

Lisa shares her experiences as a pharmaceutical representative, emphasizing that her story is just one of many similar tales. The book is based on facts that readers can independently verify, and a word of caution: the revelations may leave you shocked as you begin to connect the dots.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing a complimentary eBook in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advance Readers Copy from NetGallery. Thank you for allowing me to read the journey of a very brave woman.

Lisa landed her dream job at a Big Pharma company called Questcor. As a single mother to a special needs child she never imagined what lies ahead. As she worked she realized the depths the company would go through to make more money. If the drug was used incorrectly it could bring in $28,000 a vial. Greed and dollar signs overcame the company but it didn’t go unnoticed.

Lisa realized this was dangerous for the patients and becomes a whistleblower to expose the bribery, fraud, sexual harassment and corruption. She began a double life as she worked closely with the Department of Justice. She gathered information for them for over a decade.

I find Lisa Pratt’s determination and courage to do what's right for humanity was heroic.

-NetGallery (ARC)

A powerful memoir exposing corruption in Big Pharma. Pratta’s decade-long battle as a whistleblower reveals the industry’s dark side, balancing personal struggles with a fight for justice. A gripping and eye-opening read

Lisa Pratta worked for pharmaceutical companies as a sales representative for a number of years. As the single mother of a special needs child, she saw the need and usefulness of drugs for many conditions. She was enthused to promote the drug Acthar to neurologists for multiple sclerosis until she saw the excesses that her company used to see more drugs. All of these excesses eventually led Pratta to becoming an insider whistleblower to the Federal Government. Her story is compelling and is just another example of pharmaceutical companies putting their profits over the needs of patients. This book is written in a compelling way and was a page-turner. If you like memoirs, legal or medical dramas I highly recommend this book.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book was an other eye opening look and the disgusting tactics of pharmaceutical companies. I applaud the author for her bravery in this case. This was almost as horrifying as watching Painkiller. Highly recommend. Was a bit dry reading in places, but I felt that was needed so that you can understand the entire investigation.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for allowing me to read and review this ARC.