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If I had the chance to do it all over again, I might have skipped the philosophy degree and pursued pharmacy instead. Not because I don’t enjoy a good debate about Aristotle or Hegel (I do), but because pharmacy is one of the most practical, versatile, and—frankly—underappreciated degrees out there. In fact, I’m currently trying to convince my older daughter to consider pharmacy for exactly that reason. It opens doors across clinical, commercial, and research settings—and offers the kind of flexibility and long-term relevance that’s hard to beat.
Many of the most effective marketers I know in the pharmaceutical industry began their careers as registered pharmacists or earned their PharmDs—and it shows. They bring clinical depth, systems thinking, and a pragmatic mindset that elevates every conversation. And as someone who genuinely enjoys diving into pharmacology but can’t stand needles or the sight of blood, to me it still feels like the career path that got away.
Over the past few years, I’ve been increasingly struck by just how critical pharmacists are—not just to the healthcare system, but to the commercial success of pharmaceutical products. At ThinkGen, we’ve been asked more and more frequently to include pharmacists in our marketing research studies, or to do stand-alone studies focused on pharmacists. And I mean all kinds: hospital pharmacists, retail pharmacists, managed care pharmacists, specialty pharmacists. That’s not a coincidence—it’s a reflection of a shift in how the industry is recognizing the pharmacist as a key customer and strategic ally.
Pharmacists wear many hats. They are medication experts, formulary navigators, patient educators, adherence coaches, and, often, the last line of defense in preventing harmful medication interactions or medication errors. But just as importantly, they are trusted by patients and influential within their institutions. In a world of increasing complexity in drug therapy, particularly in specialty and biologic medications, pharmacists are not just pass-throughs for prescriptions—they are decision-makers, advisors, and stakeholders in access, utilization, and outcomes.
For pharmaceutical companies, this opens up a world of strategic opportunity—if we’re paying attention.
Take the hospital setting, for example. Clinical pharmacists are embedded in care teams, participating in treatment decisions and helping interpret protocols. In the world of managed care, pharmacists are deeply involved in formulary development, prior authorization criteria, new medication reviews, and utilization management. Retail pharmacists, meanwhile, have perhaps the most direct and sustained engagement with patients, especially in the era of retail health clinics and expanding scope-of-practice laws. Specialty pharmacists often serve as the bridge between manufacturer, payer, provider, and patient—navigating reimbursement, ensuring appropriate use, and monitoring for side effects.
Bringing pharmacists into primary marketing research isn’t just a box to check—it’s a smart move that can add real depth to your insights. They often identify challenges and opportunities that other HCP types might overlook, especially around access, reimbursement, and product education. Pharmacists can shed light on what actually resonates in a product monograph, what drives them to recommend—or reject—a therapy, and how a treatment fits (or doesn’t) within the practical realities of a care pathway. Their feedback can sharpen messaging, surface unexpected friction points, and ultimately help us build strategies that are more aligned with the real world.
Reaching pharmacists through media and engagement campaigns isn’t as challenging as it might seem. There are clear, well-established channels that speak directly to them—many of which are trusted sources they turn to regularly for clinical and professional guidance. Peer-reviewed journals like Drug Store News, Pharmacy Times, U.S. Pharmacist, and Retail Pharmacy are widely read in the retail pharmacy space. On the hospital side, publications like the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy and Hospital Pharmacy offer valuable platforms for more clinically-oriented content.
Professional associations and conferences are equally important engagement opportunities. The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting remains a key venue for connecting with the managed care pharmacy community. Likewise, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) provide strong access to institutional and community pharmacists, respectively.
The key is meeting pharmacists where they already are—through the publications they trust, the organizations they engage with, and the conversations they’re already having.
Pharmacists are not an afterthought in the healthcare ecosystem—and they shouldn’t be an afterthought in your commercial strategy either. They’re uniquely positioned to influence access, education, adherence, and ultimately patient outcomes. And they bring a perspective that often complements—and constructively challenges—what we hear from prescribers and patients alike.
So the next time you're developing a study design, planning an advisory board, or crafting a GTM strategy, ask yourself: have we heard from the pharmacists? Because chances are, they’re already shaping the success of your brand—whether you’re talking to them or not.
