The pharmaceutical sector has faced substantial backlash for its choices to release certain medications to consumers, its reluctance to distribute others that might serve the greater good, and its exorbitant pricing of some products. Hailey explores ideas surrounding the industry's possibly misguided or even corrupt behaviors. The group's discussion could uncover additional insights and evaluate the relevance of Hailey's critiques in today’s context.

Exploring the Industry

1. What lesser-known facets of the pharmaceutical world does Hailey reveal in this narrative?

The Heroine's Qualities

2. What personal and professional attributes make Celia de Grey Jordan a fitting protagonist for this tale? Does she convincingly embody the role of an executive?

Subplot Dynamics

3. How does the subplot involving Celia's husband, Dr. Andrew Jordan, and his struggle against drug abuse among physicians, enhance the main storyline?

Ethics and Experiments

4. Does Hailey articulate a definitive stance on the moral considerations of experimenting on living animals?

Risks and Rewards

5. In what manner does the novel highlight how the pursuit of rapid profits or notoriety can sometimes jeopardize public health and safety? At what point should the findings from new drug experiments be disclosed to the public?

The narrative thread of Strong Medicine unfolds with a straightforward clarity, distinct from Hailey's earlier works that wove together a tapestry of interconnected tales all linked to a central institution. In this novel, the spotlight shines brightly on a central protagonist, and a singular plot takes precedence. Tangential narratives are neatly tied up through the pivotal decisions made by Celia regarding the strategies and priorities at Felding-Roth. True to Hailey's signature style, the story advances through a series of rapid-fire episodes brimming with melodrama and intrigue.

Characters engage in dialogues that illuminate the inner workings and protocols of the pharmaceutical realm, weaving in medical and drug-related themes with authenticity and depth. Hailey occasionally nudges the reader to adopt a critical eye towards the pharmaceutical empire. Nonetheless, his depiction remains fundamentally hopeful, endorsing a comforting belief in the efficacy of the industry's practices and highlighting its significant benefits over its shortcomings. As the book draws to a close, Celia stands poised to confront critics of a groundbreaking experimental drug, embodying Hailey's optimistic assertion that the drug industry has, in sum, been "a benefaction for mankind."

Echoing the muckraking legacy of Hailey's Airport (1968), Strong Medicine shares a kinship with the incisive narratives of Upton Sinclair, whose incendiary masterpiece The Jungle (1906) boldly exposed the unsanitary underbelly of Chicago's meat-packing world. Much like Sinclair Lewis, who meticulously gathered details to lampoon the medical profession in Arrowsmith (1925), and extended his sharp fictional critiques across domains like organized religion, corporate machinations, social initiatives, and the hotel industry, Hailey constructs his narratives with precision.

In more contemporary times, Joseph Wambaugh has woven his tales from the fabric of personal encounters, crafting enthralling accounts of police life in novels such as The New Centurions (1971). Yet, distinct from these authors, Hailey's pen is driven less by the pursuit of societal critique and more by the desire to provide his audience with a captivating escape filled with insight and amusement.