Social Marketing Strategies in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Characteristics and Impact; a scoping review

Abstract

Objective

To describe the social marketing strategies implemented by the pharmaceutical industry and their potential impact on consumer behavior and access to medicines, through a scoping review.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. For data collection, scientific articles published between 2006 and 2025 in English and Spanish were selected using the PCC criteria (Population, Concept, Context), which are recommended for this type of research. The databases consulted were SciELO, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals were included if their title, abstract, or keywords contained at least one of the descriptors used in the search equation.

Results

Four categories of analysis emerged: 1) marketing and positioning, 2) corporate social responsibility, communication, and ethics, 3) digital transformation and innovation, and 4) pharmacy and access to medicines. A critical inflection point was identified, highlighting the intersection of access to medicines with the role of community pharmacies, which are implementing strategies to balance social commitments with commercial objectives.

Conclusions

The pharmaceutical industry’s social marketing strategies can be multidimensional. They have evolved from traditional corporate positioning to emerging categories that integrate ethics, digital transformation, and public health innovation. The current challenge lies in balancing business viability with the population’s health and social needs.

Introduction

The pharmaceutical industry is considered a key player within a country’s productive sector, as it contributes directly to economic development, scientific innovation, and the preservation of public health [1]. In Colombia, for example, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the major importance of this industry, not only because of its impact on medicine production, but also because of its important role in logistics and supply chains, research, and the strengthening of healthcare systems [2,3].

This industry has progressively incorporated social marketing strategies. Unlike traditional commercial marketing, which is primarily focused on economic efficiency, social marketing applied to health can be defined as the use of marketing techniques aimed at raising public awareness and promoting changes in people’s (healthy) behaviours. Social marketing has therefore emerged as a necessary tool by influencing behaviours that benefit the community [1]. Organisations within this industry align commercial objectives with public health goals, moving from product-centred strategies towards more comprehensive approaches that include education, prevention, and social responsibility [4,5,6,7].

Currently, digital misinformation, self-medication, and the saturation of social media with advertising for different products have created a gap between traditional commercial strategies and the actual needs of the public [5,8]. Companies in the sector have responded by implementing social marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies in an inclusive, sustainable manner that is consistent with corporate values, as a means of rebuilding consumer trust and credibility and promoting healthy behaviours over the long term [4]. At the community level, pharmacies play an important role by integrating such strategies into their business models through an educational role [9,10].

Current evidence on social marketing within the pharmaceutical industry is fragmented and varies in terms of methodology, scope, and quality; few reviews integrate the industry’s marketing strategies and their impact on consumer behaviour [11,12]. Therefore, this study aims to identify the current evidence on social marketing strategies implemented by the pharmaceutical industry and their potential impact on consumer behaviour and access to medicines through a scoping review.

Methods

This study was conducted as a scoping review, following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines as the main framework for the identification, analysis, and selection of articles describing social marketing strategies used by the pharmaceutical industry, their characteristics, implementation approaches, and impact on the community. The methodological design was based on the framework developed in studies such as those by Sharma et al. and Tricco et al. [13,14].

Scientific articles published between 2006 and 2025 were selected for data collection. The sources were searched through the following databases: SciELO, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The searches were conducted between February and May 2025.

Search strategy

The selection process was conducted in three stages. First, a search was performed using Boolean operators and combinations of controlled terms (MeSH/DeCS) and keywords in English and Spanish. The search equation was adapted to the syntax of each database while maintaining semantic equivalence. As an example, the basic search structure is shown below:

“(Estrategias OR ‘planes estratégicos’ OR ‘strategic plans’ OR ‘strategic approaches’) AND (‘Marketing social’ OR ‘mercadeo social’ OR ‘social marketing’ OR ‘social advertising’) AND (‘industria farmacéutica’ OR ‘sector farmacéutico’ OR ‘pharmaceutical industry’ OR ‘pharmaceutical sector’) AND (Impacto OR ‘efectos’ OR ‘resultados’ OR impact OR ‘effects’ OR ‘outcomes’)”.

Eligibility criteria

Given the scoping review design, the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) criteria recommended for this type of research were used. They were defined as follows:

Population: Patients, community pharmacy users, and the general population exposed to marketing by pharmaceutical companies.

Concept: Social marketing strategies, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), impact, communication, ethics, and associated stakeholders.

Context: Pharmaceutical sector, community pharmacies, and prevention and health promotion settings.

Research articles published in Spanish or English in peer-reviewed academic journals were selected. Study selection was performed by two independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus with a third reviewer. The process was documented using a PRISMA-ScR flow diagram (Figure 1). Finally, a descriptive synthesis and thematic categorisation of the 27 articles were carried out.

Figure 1.

PRISMA 2020 flowchart. Prepared and adapted by the authors based on the PRISMA 2020 tool [15].

Quality assessment: Following recommendations for scoping reviews, studies were not excluded on the basis of methodological quality. However, documents without a verifiable methodology, with incomplete information or without a clearly defined review process, those published in languages other than those initially specified, and those that were not directly relevant to the topic or research question were excluded. Articles focused on commercial promotion, clinical aspects, or purely pharmacological issues without a social component were also excluded.

Data synthesis strategy

A qualitative summary was developed in which all research findings were integrated. Emerging categories were generated by grouping conceptually similar content, thereby facilitating the organisation and interpretation of the findings. In this way, a content analysis was conducted with an emphasis on the semantic dimension and the use of shared meanings across the reviewed sources.

Results

The results contained in the emerging categories derived from the analysis of each of the selected documents are presented below. Table 1 details the documents that best represent each category:

Table 1.

Summary of Articles by Category

Category	Marketing Strategy	Main Findings
1. Marketing and Positioning in Health	Social Marketing (Behaviour Change) ( 1 )	Traditional commercial marketing is insufficient in public health. Audience segmentation aimed not at selling a product but at “selling” a healthy behaviour was shown to be key to the success of public health campaigns ( 1 ).
	Viral Marketing & eWOM (Electronic Word-of-Mouth) ( 16 )	Local pharmacies fail to generate “viral” content. Although they use social media, they tend to use it as a noticeboard (one-way communication) rather than developing strategies that generate interaction and brand loyalty ( 16 ).
	“Big Pharma” Market Strategy ( 17 )	Large pharmaceutical companies invest in “profitable” rather than essential products. This indirectly favours the emergence of a counterfeit medicines market operated by illicit organisations outside the official pharmaceutical industry, which seeks to meet unmet demand through low prices, particularly in less developed countries. This phenomenon differs from regulated legal channels, such as the Spanish Medicines Verification System (SEVeM) in the European context ( 17 ).
	Islamic Branding (Religious Niche Marketing) ( 18 )	The “Halal” label constitutes a guarantee of compliance with Islamic law (Sharia), certifying products as suitable for use and consumption. This goes beyond mere religious compliance by ensuring global standards of quality, safety, and cleanliness. It is a powerful strategy for entering emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East ( 18 ).
	Institutional Positioning (Social Responsibility) ( 19 )	Social responsibility directly influences perceived quality. Organisations that communicate their social projects achieve better positioning in consumers’ minds than those that only advertise their products or services ( 19 ).
	Advocacy and Intersectoral Marketing ( 20 )	To control diseases (vectors), the idea of collaboration must be “sold” to other ministries (Housing, Education). A common failure is the lack of a “shared value proposition” ( 20 ).
	Public Affairs (Lobbying) as Corporate Image ( 21 )	Managing “public issues” has become a new corporate image tool. Companies are no longer positioned solely by their products, but also by their political/social stance on global issues ( 21 ).
	Relationship and Ethical Marketing ( 22 )	Strategies may vary according to the marketing channel. Within pharmaceutical laboratories, the aim is to foster loyalty not through price, but through knowledge management directed at physicians (positioning medical representatives as scientific consultants); in this setting, the ethical boundary may be blurred ( 22 ). Other settings (exclusively pharmaceutical channels) may display different relationship dynamics.
2. Communication, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility	Digital Personal Branding vs. Ethics ( 23 )	The immediacy of social media encourages pharmacists to provide rapid advice, which may jeopardise patient privacy and professional reputation. A digital code of conduct is needed to protect the “pharmacy brand” ( 23 ).
	NGO Countervailing Power ( 24 )	This examines how NGOs use “inside” strategies (collaborating with companies) and “outside” strategies (protests, boycotts) to influence the commercial determinants of health and curb harmful marketing ( 24 ).
	Corporate “Framing” Strategies ( 25 )	Industries producing unhealthy products (tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods) use similar communication strategies: creating doubt about scientific evidence and falsely positioning themselves as “partners” in public health ( 25 ).
	CSR as Reputation (Internal Marketing) ( 26 )	There is an internal disconnect: pharmaceutical companies use CSR to improve their external image, yet their own employees are often unaware of these policies, suggesting the absence of a genuine organisational culture ( 26 ).
	Strategic Philanthropy ( 27 )	Multinational companies use medicine donations not only for charitable purposes, but also to “open markets” and improve relationships with local governments, thereby securing their social licence to operate in developing countries ( 27 ).
	Digital Marketing in Clinical Laboratories ( 28 )	Clinical laboratories are transitioning towards Marketing 2.0, but its use remains limited. Those implementing search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies and educational content are more successful in attracting private patients than their competitors ( 28 ).
	Demarketing (Rational Use) ( 29 )	Aggressive marketing and over-the-counter sales of antibiotics have contributed to rising antimicrobial resistance. The necessary strategy is “demarketing”: educating people not to consume the product unnecessarily, which runs counter to short-term profit objectives ( 29 ).
	Innovation as Brand Value ( 30 )	During COVID-19, development speed (diagnostics and therapies) became the main brand asset for biotechnology companies, displacing price or availability as a decision-making factor ( 30 ).
	Bioeconomy / Green Marketing ( 31 )	Positioning based on sustainability (“Circular Economy”). Extracting high-value compounds from microalgae is marketed as a dual solution: a premium product for pharmaceutical/food applications and environmental remediation ( 31 ).
	Community Marketing (Bottom-up) ( 32 )	Top-down strategies fail in opioid crises. Success occurs when the community chooses the strategy and takes ownership of the intervention’s health “brand” ( 32 ).
3. Innovation and Digital Transformation	Industry 4.0 as a Competitive Advantage ( 33 )	The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) is not merely operational; it is also a market signal. Companies adopting Industry 4.0 position themselves as forward-looking leaders, attracting better talent and investment ( 33 ).
	Precision Marketing (Personalisation) ( 34 )	Technological innovation makes it possible to move from mass marketing to one-to-one marketing. The use of Big Data allows exactly what the patient needs to be offered, dramatically increasing satisfaction (Customer Experience) ( 34 ).
	Knowledge Transfer ( 35 )	In multinational companies, the ability to innovate and transfer knowledge between subsidiaries is the main “trigger” for global competitive advantage and new product development ( 35 ).
	Knowledge Management in Crisis Situations ( 36 )	During the pandemic, service companies that managed and shared their internal knowledge more effectively were better able to survive. Knowledge became the most valuable asset for maintaining business continuity ( 36 ).
	Professional vs. Commercial Positioning ( 9 )	Pharmacy is perceived as a retail business (sales) rather than as a healthcare centre (service). A “rebranding” strategy for the pharmacy profession is required to integrate it into Primary Care ( 9 ).
	Brand and Counterfeiting ( 12 )	Weak brands in settings with fragile regulation and institutions, together with difficulties in access—as occurs in some African countries—allow the counterfeit medicines market to flourish (22.6%). In this context, “brand assurance” and traceability are the values most highly sought by consumers in relation to safety ( 12 ).
	Stewardship (Responsible Management) ( 37 )	Hospital strategies aimed at optimising antimicrobial use in low-income countries. The approach focuses on changing prescribing culture: prescribing on the basis of evidence ( 37 ).
	Multichannel Strategy During the Pandemic ( 38 )	Review of integrated strategies (distancing + treatment + vaccination). It demonstrates that the product does not work without an accompanying public health strategy (promotion) ( 38 ).
	Rational Use During a Crisis ( 39 )	Misinformation is critically analysed, such as the widespread use of medicines during COVID-19 without supporting evidence. This reflects how market desperation can drive the consumption of medicines without scientific support, fuelled by media alarmism ( 39 ).

Source: Authors’ own elaboration.

Healthcare Marketing and Search Engine Optimization

In recent years, social marketing has gained considerable importance as an effective and essential approach for promoting positive changes within the population, for example by increasing public awareness and encouraging changes in people’s behaviour (1). Currently, the pharmaceutical sector and healthcare institutions have incorporated this approach as a means of aligning their commercial objectives with community well-being, including marketing as part of both strategic and operational public health strategies (1,16).

According to Siguenza et al. (16), notable strategies include the adoption of regional mechanisms for joint procurement of medicines and the establishment of shared diagnostic laboratories, initiatives that have improved operational efficiency and equitable access to essential resources. Positioning should be understood as being associated with attributes that secure a place in the consumer’s mind (16,18,19). Digital marketing has emerged as another key strategy in the pharmaceutical industry, as it has become a tool that enables not only greater communication reach but also stronger institutional positioning (17,28). Nevertheless, these strategies must be used ethically because, although effective for disseminating information, they require strict regulation to prevent biased or misleading messages.

In this regard, the analysis presented in an article discussing the challenges and opportunities of Islamic branding is illustrative (18). The concept of Halal, traditionally understood as what is permitted under the Islamic faith, has begun to evolve through its incorporation into marketing strategies, creating opportunities in international markets. The Halal logo goes beyond the scope of religious certification and is becoming positioned as a new standard of quality, safety, and ethical production demanded by consumers. This may also extend to non-Muslim populations and is partly attributable to the way brands construct narratives around risk, suspicion, and spirituality that alter how consumers interpret products (16,18,19).

Communication, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), in turn, plays a strategic role. Faced with gaps in meeting the needs of the population, companies can provide opportunities (20,21), contributing to sustainable economic development, improving quality of life, and obtaining reputational benefits (22). When implemented appropriately, this practice can make a substantial contribution to building trust and loyalty among users towards the pharmaceutical industry and to positioning the industry in collaboration with government institutions (16,18,19).

Nevertheless, important challenges remain, including practices that conflict with professional ethics, in which patients’ health may be subordinated to commercial interests through the promotion of medicines according to purely commercial criteria and in the presence of clear conflicts of interest (17,22). In the public perception, this may contribute to the vague and harmful belief that only a medicine from a particular pharmaceutical company or in a specific presentation is effective. In reality, when the active ingredient, strength, and pharmaceutical form are equivalent, other brands may provide the same therapeutic benefit without compromising quality, safety, or efficacy. This is particularly relevant in resource-limited settings (17). Transparency is therefore essential to ensure that prescribing is guided by patients’ needs and that more affordable alternatives are considered.

This shift not only supports the sustainability of treatment for patients but also promotes a more transparent doctor–patient relationship that is free from interests unrelated to health (17), ensuring that patients receive clear, objective, and sufficient information to make informed decisions and thereby protecting their right to health and their autonomy in the decision-making process (23). Some authors have identified similarities between strategies used by industries producing unhealthy products, such as tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and gambling products (25), and those used by the pharmaceutical industry. Such practices include manipulation of evidence, the use of narratives and framing strategies, the creation of advocacy groups, and policy substitution in collaboration with governmental agencies (23,25), practices that clearly should not be replicated.

For marketing, this implies an obligation to create messages that are understandable to all audiences, based on principles of distributive justice and accessibility, so that individuals can make decisions based on accurate information rather than fear, rumours, or lack of knowledge (23,25). Beyond a single communication campaign, this requires genuine advocacy and social support to ensure that those most in need can access different types of products required for disease prevention or healthcare without becoming impoverished (23), while also engaging other social, economic, and political stakeholders (20).

Intersectoral and interprofessional collaborations make it possible to develop more comprehensive interventions, increase public trust, and ensure that communication and marketing activities are aligned with sustainable, long-term public health objectives (20,24,26). This highlights that trust in the healthcare system depends not only on industry and government, but also on the active participation of communities and other social stakeholders (27,28), beyond isolated donations and projects.

Some potentially valuable actions include offering medicines at differentiated prices according to the economic context, investing in healthcare infrastructure, promoting mobile health programmes, and supporting research into diseases that primarily affect developing countries through targeted research and development activities (29,30,31). Although these ideas and actions may genuinely seek to improve health, they are also motivated by factors such as strengthening corporate reputation, attracting and retaining talent, opening new markets, and ensuring long-term profitability. This situation illustrates how CSR can become an opportunity to align commercial interests with genuine social benefits, provided that transparency is ensured and population well-being is prioritised (20,24,27), particularly in vulnerable communities (21,22).

Traditional advertising and public relations are no longer sufficient. Companies must also manage their relationships with the political, social, and regulatory environment if they wish to maintain credibility and a strong market position (21). It is also important for companies to use public affairs as a means of strengthening their relationships with external stakeholders, including governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the media, customers, suppliers, and other interested parties, thereby improving their corporate image (21,24). These alliances help organisations gain legitimacy, differentiate themselves from competitors, and establish a coherent corporate narrative. Today, companies that successfully align their communication messages with social, regulatory, and environmental values do not merely sell a product; they also convey trust and credibility, which are fundamental assets in the current market.

One example is the response to the opioid crisis in the United States. Researchers have proposed establishing protocols based on strategies jointly defined with communities, integrating their voices and needs into the implementation of evidence-based practices (24,32). Organisations should not merely design social responsibility policies from their offices but should develop them together with social stakeholders, thereby generating greater legitimacy, credibility, and local engagement in the communities where they operate (24,28,32).

Innovation and Digital Transformation in Health

Transformation within the sector increasingly depends on new ways of adapting to change. For example, Industry 4.0 technologies used across different industries provide new perspectives from a marketing standpoint. Sharma, Malik, and Sharma (33) conducted a study using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a tool that makes it possible to analyse how different sectors incorporate new technologies. The study showed how marketing uses large volumes of data together with specialised analytical tools to support evidence-based decision-making. Other researchers (34) have concluded that emerging technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things have become key drivers in transforming organisational decision-making, as well as the way organisations communicate with consumers and establish sustainable market positioning over time.

In addition, “green marketing” is no longer merely a trend; it has become a strategic necessity. Companies that successfully connect digital transformation with sustainable practices are creating something highly valuable: genuine trust among consumers and investors (33). This requires reconsidering the marketing approach. Developing impactful digital campaigns is not sufficient; organisations must also establish strategic partnerships, actively educate consumers, and ensure that practices are aligned with current and future regulations. This represents a particular challenge in developing countries, where there remains a substantial gap in understanding how knowledge is transferred across settings with different economic and cultural realities (35).

Innovation and digital transformation encourage a shift from traditional advertising towards integrated communication strategies that build customer trust. According to Zbuchea et al. (36), “the pandemic represented an opportunity for organisational development and the adoption of formal knowledge management practices”. Companies that effectively communicated their ability to adapt appeared more reliable and resilient during the most critical periods. Furthermore, organisations with strong foundations in knowledge management were able to respond more rapidly and flexibly to changing market dynamics. During periods of disruption, customers may value agility and proximity as highly as the product itself, ultimately making these attributes potential brand differentiators (34,36). Digital tools not only help solve internal problems but can also become part of the organisation’s value proposition. This type of marketing demonstrates technological resilience (33,35).

In this context, it is relevant to link these dynamics with the search for sustainable and trustworthy alternatives in sectors such as biotechnology. A specific example is microalgae, which have demonstrated substantial potential for producing high-value compounds such as antioxidants, pigments, vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids used in the food, pharmaceutical, and environmental industries (31). Their use not only responds to the demand for safer and more natural products but also contributes to circular economy and sustainability objectives because they can grow using relatively few resources and have applications in nutrition, bioenergy, and bioremediation.

Finally, the authors also note that “the appropriate use of digital tools can positively influence the relationship between laboratories and their patients, improving both communication and service quality” (28). It is essential to develop a coherent strategy that positions the brand, communicates value, and builds strong relationships with customers. Laboratories, like other companies in the healthcare sector, should regard digital marketing not as an expense but as an investment in visibility, credibility, and loyalty.

Community Pharmacy and Access to Medicines

There is a social perception that community pharmacies form part of the first level of healthcare. However, the healthcare system does not formally include them within its Primary Health Care policies or Integrated Health Service Networks. This disconnect may represent a missed opportunity to expand healthcare coverage and access to health services, particularly in low-income communities (12,37). Among the main barriers to their integration is their economic model, characterised by profitability linked to retail product sales, which in many cases compromises their financial sustainability.

As a result of these pressures, many community pharmacies have chosen to “diversify product sales rather than offer professional services”, prioritising commercial strategies driven by marketing or the need to ensure financial sustainability over health policies or demand for patient-centred care (9). From a healthcare perspective, medicine dispensing remains the principal activity, followed by the management of minor ailments and complementary pharmaceutical recommendations. However, there are no national standardised procedural guidelines for the provision of these services, which hinders their integration into the healthcare system (9,12) and, in turn, contributes to a lack of assurance regarding access to non-counterfeit medicines that meet high-quality standards (12,37).

Research such as that conducted by Khalifa et al. (38) shows that health-system preparedness and global coordination are essential in exceptional circumstances, such as the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This reinforces the importance of comprehensive and preventive strategies during periods of crisis (38). Currently, one of the most important concerns is the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus are becoming increasingly difficult to treat because of the declining effectiveness of traditional antibiotics (12). Therefore, potential strategies for overcoming antibiotic resistance, ranging from the development and innovation of new medicines and combination therapies (29,30) to improved surveillance, responsible antibiotic use, and stricter public policies aimed at limiting indiscriminate use, are essential as integrated components of the healthcare system.

Medicines such as hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, azithromycin, and doxycycline were frequently suggested for the possible prophylaxis or treatment of COVID-19 in both outpatients and hospitalised patients (12). Their rapid establishment in the minds of physicians and patients was driven more by early communication, traditional media, and social networks than by conclusive scientific evidence. Subsequent clinical trials demonstrated potential risks and adverse effects. From a marketing perspective, this provides a clear example of how a medicine can rapidly acquire perceived value and lose it just as quickly, as well as the fundamental role played by community settings and retail sellers in generating and communicating information to the public.

Godman et al. (37) emphasise that the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics not only fuels antimicrobial resistance but also places additional pressure on healthcare systems, particularly in lower-resource countries (37,39). Proposed measures to address this problem include strengthening the education of healthcare professionals and the community, implementing hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes, and developing an integrated approach to regulation and incentives that support more responsible consumption (12,37,39), beginning at these initial levels of care, namely community pharmacies.

Discussion

As a discussion, this study identified and analysed marketing strategies used by the pharmaceutical industry that, according to the studies reviewed, are oriented towards, or reconsidered as, key strategies aimed at balancing commercial or business interests with social needs. Although challenges remain within this industry, substantial progress has also been made through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) frameworks (7,26,40), digital transformation, and innovation (33,34,35). These developments help to define more clearly a pathway towards social benefits, which should be examined through the lenses of ethics, education, and communication.

Misinformation, the inappropriate use of new media and communication paradigms (16,25), particularly on social networks (23), together with the specific contexts of populations, their ideologies (18), and cultural diversity, are factors that need to be addressed in order to prioritise the most appropriate strategies for supporting end consumers and, in doing so, ensure the social role played by this industry. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this review represents a rapid overview of social marketing strategies and should be regarded as a starting point for considering additional elements identified in the review, such as the role of religion (18), politics (22), governments and other organisations (1,24), as well as other sectors (20), including education.

Conclusions

The study identified several emerging categories resulting from the analysis. Positioning, for example, emerged as a key element that organisations should consider in order to secure a place in the consumer’s mind and achieve greater short-term impact. Alongside this, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) emerged as a prominent factor, supporting sustainable development through a business approach that is closer to the public and to social needs, while promoting stronger and more synergistic relationships between industry and consumers. In this particular context, interprofessional and intersectoral support is required to ensure that business objectives are aligned with social objectives.

Digital transformation, artificial intelligence and innovation are also among the key contemporary factors shaping management, ethics, and marketing strategies. These developments place the sector in a context characterised by the rapid growth of health-related discourse, media, and technologies, which must be supported by ethical practices and by consideration of the population’s needs, including economic needs. For this reason, the study concludes by highlighting the role of community pharmacies, the need to include them in primary care policies, and, consequently, the importance of ensuring access not only to medicines but also to timely and ethical first-line care in order to safeguard the right to health.

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.