Dr Marc Watson FFPM
An FPM Voices Q&A

What first sparked your interest in pharmaceutical medicine, and what has kept you passionate about the field?

When I transitioned from clinical medicine, I wanted to find a new career but wanted to ensure I continued to use my medical training. I was fortunate to find a home in pharmaceutical medicine and really find the population level approach to helping patients fascinating and rewarding.

What does FPM represent to you, both professionally and personally?

Professionally, FPM has always represented a body that is there to help me maintain and develop my professional standards as a pharmaceutical physician, and demonstrate my expertise in our field. Personally, I have always felt close to the Faculty, having gone through PMST and then served in several different capacities on committees and now the Board. As such, FPM has always been a friendly and supportive place for me.

In what ways have you helped champion FPM’s mission for the next generation of pharmaceutical physicians?

Recently I joined the FPM Board of Trustees and hold the office of Registrar. We will soon start building the strategy for 2026-2028 and beyond – there is a real focus on making FPM fit for the future and ensuring we adapt to the rapidly evolving environment in which pharmaceutical physicians will operate. A really exciting time for myself and the rest of the Faculty!

What’s a recent innovation or lesson—whether from colleagues, patients, or scientific advancements—that has inspired or changed your perspective?

In my ‘day job’ I work mainly in the field of paediatric oncology. We frequently engage with Patient Organisations and, over the last few years, I have regularly learnt lessons from how focussed they are on making a difference to patients and their families. Truly inspirational, and easy to maintain motivation on what I do day-to-day.

Throughout your career, what has been your greatest challenge, and how do you stay resilient in the face of setbacks?

Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge in my career has been living with bipolar disorder. I have had to utilise many different strategies to manage this, from finding the right help medically, trying to look after my health with diet and exercise (to varying success!), but also talking openly about my experience, which has been very therapeutic. I have spoken about my experience previously at an FPM Fireside Chat and, as we build the new FPM strategy, I would like to use my position as Registrar to work on a more strategic approach to wellbeing for FPM’s membership and staff.

What is one key change or advancement you hope to see in pharmaceutical medicine in the coming years, and why?

Whilst the concept is not new, and there have been pockets of good work, I would like to see better examples of true patient engagement on a strategic level across the industry. It’s critical that companies do not just say they are patient focussed, but really embed policies and strategies to take insights from those who are impacted by diseases and illness. These insights can then be used to shape and evolve their strategies to deliver better and more patient-centred outcomes.

If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?

Resilience. As many people know, I live with a severe mental illness, and have recently reflected on the challenges I’ve faced to get to where I am today. I like to think this makes me resilient and I think it is a good superpower to have in the often difficult and complex working and personal lives we all have today.