If it seems that the tumult outside our doors doesn’t matter inside our industry, we found soaring evidence to the contrary. This month’s Pharma Notebook is dedicated to the arguments, ideas, and actions that are happening in the streets today that may shape healthcare tomorrow. We’d invite you to share your thoughts with us.

1. From the CEO’s Desk

In Forbes, Dr. Robert Pearl, former CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, offers a searing indictment of the US healthcare system’s racial bias. He cites a wealth of studies that reveal institutional bias, implicit HCP bias, as well as social determinants of health. But most notable is his blistering tone:

Marches against racism and inequality do not threaten the public’s health nearly as much as racism and inequality…In the United States, both the police and the coronavirus attack black people disproportionately. Scientific studies confirm that African Americans don’t just suffer higher rates of police brutality, racial profiling, and mass incarceration compared to white people, they also suffer higher rates of mistreatment in U.S. hospitals, clinics and physician offices. 

As pharma CEOs are called upon for comment, Dr. Pearl’s fierce articulation stands in jarring contrast to the standard corporate comms vanilla soft serve. Might this incredible moment where a pandemic intersects with a generational social movement prompt a new tone from healthcare CEOs?

2. Rhetorical Fireworks from the AMA

The American Medical Association is hardly known for its rhetorical flare. But AMA leadership declares that “racism is detrimental to health in all its forms” and they argue that “police violence” will make the COVID pandemic worse: 

In any season, police violence is an injustice, but its harm is elevated amidst the remarkable stress people are facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now, there is evidence of increased police violence in the form of excessive police-initiated force and unwarranted shootings of civilians, some of which have been fatal. This violence not only contributes to the distrust of law enforcement by marginalized communities but distrust in the larger structure of government including for our critically important public health infrastructure. The disparate racial impact of police violence against Black and Brown people and their communities is insidiously viral-like in its frequency, and also deeply demoralizing, irrespective of race/ethnicity, age, LGBTQ or gender. 

3. “It’s a Conglomeration of Everything”

ProPublica marched alongside protesters in DC. One question they were trying to answer: Did the COVID pandemic add fuel to the demonstrations? Here’s what they concluded: 

Eighteen black protesters interviewed by ProPublica were well aware that black lives were being lost to the virus at more than twice the rate of others, and that societal barriers have compounded for generations to put them at higher risk.

4. Racism and the Future of Pharma

One of the defining images of the protests is #whitecoatsforblacklives. Its mission – “Eliminating racism in the practice of medicine and recognizing racism as a threat to the health and well-being of people of color” – ripples into pharma. For industry, adopting this mission may be key to survival. The Economist offers this analysis: 

Firms have an incentive to change. Research suggests that racial diversity is linked to higher profit margins and that the effect is growing—though it is hard to be certain which comes first, diversity or performance. It has also become clear that a vocal share of employees and customers will shun companies that do not deal with racism. Platitudinous mission statements are unlikely to provide much protection. A first step is to monitor diversity at all levels of recruitment and promotion, as do Goldman Sachs and Intel—hardly known for being sentimental.

How pharma grows and how pharma engages with HCPs, one of its most important stakeholders, will rest in part in how it “eliminates racism from the practice of medicine” within its own doors.  

5. “Racism is a Public Health Crisis”

Every advocacy organization under the sun has a “COVID alert” on its homepage. Which makes sense. Will the same happen in response to the racial justice protests? The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) shows what this might look like. Here’s NAMI CEO Dan Gillison: 

While there is much we need to do to address racism in our country, we must not forget the importance of mental health as we do so. Racism is a public health crisis.

As the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, it is our responsibility to serve all. While as an organization we are still early in our intentional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey and have much to do, we have renewed our commitment to our values. We continue to strive to deliver help and hope to all who need it.

NAMI stands in solidarity with everyone impacted across the country. You are not alone.

NAMI also lists a wealth of “Black Mental Health Resources.” We can imagine how other disease areas – diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, etc. – could follow this lead. Will they?