About the PM Society

The PM Society

The PM Society is a not-for-profit organisation that believes excellent healthcare communications leads to better outcomes for patients.

The PM Society has the following purpose:

  • Supporting organisations and people in healthcare
  • Recognising excellence and promoting best practice
  • Providing education and development

The PM Society was established over 40 years ago to serve the needs of the pharmaceutical industry and its service agencies. It currently has over 230 companies as members, including pharma and biotech companies on the industry side and PR, Advertising, Medical Communications, Digital and many other kinds of service company on the agency side.

It is organised and directed by the Board, Executive Committee and Industry Council, steering the direction of the Society and working hard to forge close working relationships with other industry groups, for the benefit of its’ membership

The Board determines the strategy for the Society, ensuring effective management of all PM Society activities.

The Executive Committee inputs into the strategy and delivers on the plan for the Society, ensuring effective management of all activities. Many of our Executive Committee members are also leaders of our Interest Groups. These networking groups are led by professionals in their field which deliver on the PM Society’s purpose in their functional area of expertise.

The Industry Council provides input and ideas to all PM Society initiatives as well as becoming actively involved in the planning and running of key activities.

Click here to Meet the PM Society Board, Executive Committee, Industry Council and Operations Team.

The Society has seven active Interest Groups aligned to the current challenges and issues facing those involved with pharma marketing and communications; Digital, Patient Engagement, Industry-Agency Relationships, Diversity, Careers, Sustainability and Learning and Development. These interest groups meet regularly and generate content, run educational events and provide a forum for discussion and action appropriate to their respective topics.

The Society runs two highly regarded Award schemes to help recognise excellence; The PM Society Awards highlight creativity, innovation and impact across a range of creative communications work. The PM Society Digital Awards focus solely on digital work and reward innovation and effectiveness as well as recognising people and teams.

PM Society Training is the PM Society’s modular training programme which was developed by industry experts to address the specific training needs within pharma marketing and healthcare communications. Courses run throughout the year and are tailored for those new to marketing, more experienced marketers as well as those in roles within agencies.

The PM Society operates a number of CSR initiatives that are free to attend as a way of ‘giving back’. These include an annual Graduate Careers Day to help introduce students and recent graduates to the opportunities within pharmaceutical companies and healthcare communications agencies.

GOALS 2023 – 2026

Improve the relevance and impact of the PM Society

  • Increase awareness of the PM Society across the pharmaceutical marketing and healthcare communications industry
  • Increase membership across all target companies and depth of engagement within member companies
  • Develop communication assets to highlight benefits of PM Society membership and activities

Provide learning and development opportunities to our community for personal and career development

  • Increase amount of education provided via all channels including on demand material for members
  • Complete planned MSc in Pharmaceutical Marketing at Strathclyde University
  • Launch Training Academy for Agencies jointly with the HCA

Promote & celebrate best practice through two successful awards events

  • Increase marketing post awards to bring more PR to winning companies
  • Continue to evolve the awards categories and events to keep them as best in class

Corporate Social Responsibility  – continue to spend profits on good causes

  • Creativity for Good initiative to bring pro bono creative work to a charity each year
  • Co-fund a talent resource with the HCA to bring new and diverse talent into the industry
  • Free Careers events – continue to offer annually plus downloadable assets to reach further students
  • Sustainability & Charity programmes