Breaking the Silence: Why Pharma Needs to Speak Up with Brian Reid
From RealPharma: Conversations with Pharma Pathfinders by RealPharma
January 12, 2026 · 53 min · Season 2 · Episode 52
About this episode
The episode discusses the need for the pharmaceutical industry to improve its communication strategies to build public trust and address misinformation.
🎙️ Real Pharma – Episode Title: Breaking the Silence: Why Pharma Needs to Speak UpHosts: Na-Ri Oh & Ian WendtGuest: Brian Reid, Founder & Principal at Reid Strategic 🔍 Episode Summary: In this episode of Real Pharma, Na-Ri and Ian sit down with Brian Reid—a healthcare communicator, strategist, and former journalist who's worked across government, pharma, and media—to explore a provocative question: Why is the pharmaceutical industry so quiet when it comes to telling its own story? Together, they unpack the communication failures shaping drug pricing, PBMs, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), biosimilars, and the broader healthcare system. Brian argues that the problem isn’t a lack of data or platforms—it’s a lack of courage, clarity, and commitment to narrative. From the importance of speaking up in a noisy media environment to the myth of reputational risk, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone in life sciences, policy, or healthcare storytelling. 🧠 What You’ll Learn: Why pharma’s “default to silence” is damaging public trust—and what the industry can do instead The communications trap around complex topics like PBMs, pricing, and benefit design How public…
People in this episode
Hosts: Na-Ri Oh, Ian Wendt
Guest: Brian Reid
Topics covered
- pharmaceutical communication
- drug pricing
- healthcare storytelling
- public trust
- media environment
Keywords
- pharma
- communication
- drug pricing
- public perception
- healthcare
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Reid Strategic
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