Rheinstein, a General Motors Scholar, received a B.A. with high honors from Michigan State University in 1963, an M.S. in mathematics from Michigan State University in 1964, an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1967, and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1973. At Michigan State University Rheinstein was noted for his facility in mathematics.^[2][3]

Rheinstein was director of the Drug Advertising and Labeling Division, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, 1974-1982;^[4][5] he was acting deputy director Office of Drugs, 1982–83, acting director Office of Drugs; 1983–84, director Office of Drug Standards, 1984–90,^[6][7] director medicine staff Office Health Affairs, 1990-99.^[8][9] While at FDA Rheinstein developed precedents for Food and Drug Administration regulation of prescription drug promotion, initiated FDA’s first patient medication information program; implemented the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, and authored medication goals for Healthy People 2000 and 2010.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]} Judy Woodruff interviewed Rheinstein about generic drug safety on the McNeil-Lehrer NewsHour, 11 Dec 1985.^[16] Stone Phillips interviewed Rheinstein about drug labeling on Dateline NBC, March 31, 1992.^[17]

From 1999 – 2004, Rheinstein was senior vice president for medical and clinical affairs, Cell Works, Inc., Baltimore. Among other projects, Cell Works wanted to develop a blood test for anthrax, similar to a system for cancer cells it produced. "It's something that companies like ours can incorporate into our diagnostic technology," Rheinstein told the Washington Times. Biodefense projects "create new technologies, the spin-offs of which can be commercialized into some pretty good things."^[18] In 2000 Rheinstein became president of Severn Health Solutions in Severna Park, Maryland. In 2010 Rheinstein was named president of the Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research ^[19] and in 2011 was named chairman of the American Board of Legal Medicine. Rheinstein was named chairman of the United States Adopted Names Council in 2012. Rheinstein is a member of Phi Kappa Phi,^[20] and vice-president of the Intercultural Friends Foundation.^[21] Rheinstein is publisher of Discovery Medicine and chairman of MedData Foundation.^[22] He is president-elect of the Academy of Medicine of Washington, DC.^[23] Sarah Gonzalez interviewed Rheinstein for Planet Money, This is Your Brain on Drug Ads, 8 Sept 2021.^[24]

• Co-author: Human Organ Transplantation: Societal, Medical-Legal, Regulatory, and Reimbursement Issues. Health Administration Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan 1987.
• special editorial advisor, Good Housekeeping Guide to Medicines and Drugs, 1977–80
• member editorial board Legal Aspects Medical Practice, 1981–89
• member editorial board Drug Information Journal, 1982–86
• publisher of Discovery Medicine, 2001-

• Peter Rheinstein on Avvo.com
• Peter Rheinstein's biography from Who's Who in America
• Peter Rheinstein's recent AMA House of Delegate Articles ^{[25][26][27][28]}
• Peter Rheinstein publications on Google Scholar
• Peter Rheinstein publications on Google Books
• Peter Rheinstein publications on PubMed
• Judy Woodruff interviews Peter Rheinstein about generic drug safety on the McNeil-Lehrer NewsHour, 11 Dec 1985
• Stone Phillips interviews Peter Rheinstein about drug labeling, Dateline NBC, March 31, 1992
• Sarah Gonzalez interviews Peter Rheinstein for Planet Money, This is Your Brain on Drug Ads, 8 Sept 2021
• Peter Rheinstein. House drug bill dooms medical research. Detroit News 20 Nov 2019
• Peter Rheinstein. Research protections will beat crises like COVID-19. Columbus Dispatch 11 Aug 2020
• FHS student completes summer science course. Farmington Enterprise 8 Sept 1960
• Peter Rheinstein's biography from American Men & Women of Science: A Biographical Directory of Today’s Leaders in Physical, Biological and Related Sciences(Vol. 12. 36th ed. 2018)
• Peter Rheinstein interviewed Slate.com naming new drugs