David Gillen, Medical Director, Pfizer UK

As Medical Director of Pfizer UK, David has a multi-faceted role with internal responsibilities that are often eclipsed by the external expectations that accompany a senior position at the world's biggest pharmaceutical company. This means nothing less than a 14-hour day and nothing slower than breakneck speed in discussions with him. This man gets straight to the point and doesn't mince his words.

A cardiologist and GP by training who follows his heart and trusts his insights and instincts as the best moral compass, David has all the characteristics that typify a Pioneer. He is focused, undeterred, invigorated by challenge and charismatic with a can-do-infectious-attitude, such that you walk away feeling that little bit taller and more capable after talking with him... (and probably with an even longer 'to-do list'!).

Believing firmly that being a "Pharmaceutical Physician" is a job to be proud of is something that clearly helps him to lead and motivate the 200-strong team who manage 12,000 safety reports, 40,000 enquiries from doctors and more than 300 Marketing Authorizations (Product Licenses) every year. That's one part of the job. David also has to oversee the clinical trial strategy — bridging the gap ethically between R&D and commercial necessity and lobbying to keep clinical trials running as invaluable business entities in the UK despite the economic advantages for industry to take them elsewhere -- plus he is a very public face for Pfizer in the UK. As a vocal advocate of the triumvirate of research, education and patient empowerment to keep medicine moving, for David, the commitment to 'protect and enhance medicines' that resonates in his current role is a segue from his raison d'etre as a budding medic where he wanted to serve the field of medical science.

Little wonder then that David made a leap of faith into the pharmaceutical industry after becoming disillusioned during tenures at St Mary's. Finding that he had lost his drive to make a difference due to the "brutal 6 minute consults... feeling like I was just sticking tubes in people and realizing that the only person who ever seemed pleased to see me was the pharmaceutical rep", David reflected on the people who had inspired him in that traditional 'medical journey'. There was a common link — those beacons had all harnessed excellent relationships with the pharmaceutical industry — which made David question why, as a medical student, the option of being a Pharmaceutical Physician who could combine both research and patient-care passions had not been suggested. David realized that despite working with people like Sir Colin Donnery, Professor Peter Sever and Professor Neil Poulter, all of whom have demonstrated the value of industry-research collaborations to benefit patients, the notion of making a move to work in industry itself was still dismissed as a "second class option that was never talked about". David remembers attending a course run by Rick Fuller, which was a tipping point because he realized he could serve the two masters of medical science and medical care to make a difference. Reading an advert about developing medicines in Pfizer was the crucible, and despite his pals asking him if he was bumping his aspirations to go away and 'sell sandwiches', David still remembers the inspirational confidence and energy buzzing around the collegiate atmosphere of the Pfizer campus in Sandwich.

David recalls still feeling like he was "in a black hole" however despite the resurrection of his spirit towards translating research into practice. There was no identity for a physician in the pharmaceutical industry at that time. So David belonged to neither the business nor the medical profession but existed in a no-man's land where he often felt he had to apologize for his choices. Inspiration arrived again in the form of two 'great presences' — Steve Feltstead and David Roblin who were Senior Medical Directors within the organization and stood firm in the face of criticism towards industry. A stint working in the United States put David office-to-office with Michael Berelowitz, the Senior VP Global Medical Affairs who had earned respect during 25 years as an endocrinologist and then for balancing a $500 million medical research budget within Pfizer. Michael helped David to realize that it is possible to stick to your core beliefs as a medic and use the forces of commercialization to make medicines that will make a difference.

Today, David is still looking ahead, still vocalizing that active collaborations are the key to medical breakthroughs and successes. David believes that Pharmaceutical Physicians need to "tell our story and tell people about our innovations and medicines". David will drive increased transparency of communication and hopes this will help clear up the exaggerated problems that surround the 'cult of conflict-of-interest'. With ferver, David explains that "we do have to deconstruct our relationships with the medical community and rebuild. We do have to get back to the simple and successful focus of the development of medicines, We do have to be completely honest that product competition does work."

David forecasts a very different landscape in the relationships between industry and the medical community in the next 12 months. Pharmaceutical Physicians need to come forward and make themselves heard, "obviously I am paid by Pfizer but people listen to medicine not the machine". David acknowledges that it is challenging to "put your core values first in all that you do and not engage in the politics but progress the solutions for patients and keep the routes open for physicians." As a member of the Working Party for the year-long review by the UK's Royal College of Physicians into medical professionalism and working with the industry, David is determined that "we are not going to simply produce a tome that sits on a shelf but we are going to debate, raise developmental literacy, insurrect the importance of a grounding in clinical pharmacology as pivotal to therapeutics and establish a career as a physician in the pharmaceutical industry as one of many to be proud of in the medical profession".

David Gillen is looking at the mountain and planning the assent.

myPHID facts

Best alignment With Richard Horton right now. I have had the privilege of watching his journey from angry man perplexed by the misperception that industry is demonic to believing that there are medical research obstacles that we must all overcome and can only surmount together.

Biggest influencing presence Michael Berelowitz, Senior VP Global Medical Affairs, Pfizer. The most charaismatic and purposeful communicator I was fortunate to work next to.

MY PHarmaceutical IDentity I am a Pharmaceutical Physician who is a Cardiologist (not a 'Cardiologist for the industry').