Trust isn’t a campaign outcome; it’s the product of behaviour, language and consistency

Pharma’s trust problem isn’t new. However, Create Health’s 2025 Fabric of Pharma white paper, on which I was privileged to consult, indicates that it’s entering a more urgent phase. The report also draws on newly commissioned independent research, adding a strong evidence base to its findings.

The headline is stark: 70% of Gen Z healthcare professionals (HCPs) say they can’t trust the industry, perceiving it as prioritising profit over purpose. That’s not just an image problem; it’s a risk.

If this cohort disengages, we will face tangible consequences, including slower clinical trial recruitment, weaker dialogue and declining peer-to-peer advocacy. In the longer term, mistrust could influence prescribing, payer engagement and policy, ultimately affecting those at the centre: patients.

“Our industry continues to achieve breathtaking breakthroughs,” says Phil Blackmore, CEO of Create Health. “But simultaneously, we’re witnessing a widening communication gap that threatens to separate pharma companies from a generation of Gen Z HCPs.  Failing to forge meaningful connections puts us at risk of losing trust and partnership, both crucial for achieving the patient outcomes we’re all working toward.”

Gen Z is the first generation to enter medicine as digital natives, but their differences extend beyond technology. As the Fabric of Pharma report notes, they are entering the workforce ‘in a world that feels fundamentally unstable; politically, financially, socially and environmentally’.

EY’s recent global-generation work and segmentation studies also emphasise this complexity: Gen Z is not a monolith. While different reports employ varying labels, many frameworks categorise Gen Z into distinct archetypes, each with its own unique motivations. In practice, that means a homogeneous, one-size-fits-all approach to engagement is increasingly inadequate. Trust-building must flex to meet varied values, pressures and expectations.

Fabric of Pharma also reports that 74% of pharma marketers admit Gen Z perceive pharma and healthcare communications as ‘old-fashioned’. Yet many view it as interesting, not urgent. The mindset feels like inertia. We think we should change, but do we really need to?

The demographics say we do. Within a decade, more than a quarter of UK HCPs will likely be Gen Z. That’s not a distant future. In that time frame, communication ecosystems will shift again. Ten years ago, TikTok and Instagram Stories didn’t even exist. The pace of change isn’t just exponential; it’s compressed. Entire platforms rise and fall within years, or less. Waiting any longer means trying to catch up to technologies that don’t yet exist.

Edelman’s most recent Trust Barometer shows that almost all adults aged 18-54 disregard medical advice in favour of family, friends or social media. For a 28-year-old GP, consultations now compete with WhatsApp and TikTok. Furthermore, many younger people believe their own research makes them as knowledgeable as doctors. That’s the landscape Gen Z HCPs navigate daily.

At the same time, their own careers look very different from those of previous generations. They’re portfolio professionals, balancing clinical practice with bureaucracy, ongoing learning and accreditation, entrepreneurship and digital creation. If pharma sees them only as prescribers, it misses who they really are.

Despite the cynicism, they haven’t written pharma off. They want a healthier pharma that acts with integrity and demonstrates corporate citizenship, with 86% also saying communication outside pharma is better. They crave concise, visual, interactive content; snackable, vertical, in natural language. Authenticity beats polish, cadence beats campaigns.

Gen Z spot ‘spin’ instantly, with 76% prioritising brands that stand for a purpose, but only if it’s proven through evidence. They’re also pushing businesses to take visible stands on diversity, equity, inclusion and sustainability.

Here lies the paradox: they want stability and purpose. Security, income and clarity matter, but so does meaning. Pharma must deliver both: proof of stability and proof of purpose.

“Transparency matters,” says Dr Azmain Chowdhury, clinician, content creator and report contributor. “Social media is not a gimmick. It’s where the next generation of HCPs live, learn and connect. Compliance and creativity are not mutually exclusive. If pharma truly wants to build trust with my generation, it’s time to stop talking about the problem and start acting on it.”

Fabric of Pharma 2025 isn’t alarmist – it’s a wake-up call. Trust isn’t a campaign outcome; it’s the product of behaviour, language and consistency. For those willing to show their human side, embrace co-creation and align proof with purpose, there’s a generation ready to listen. The opportunity is enormous. The question isn’t whether pharma will change, but whether it will change in time.

This article marks the first in a new series exploring ‘What Will Define Pharma’s Reputation and Success in Europe by 2030’. Each piece will examine one dimension of that future, because reputation and success are becoming inseparable, and both are being rewritten in real time.