When Gen Z Turns Away: What Declining Trust in Pharma Means

There’s something quietly alarming in the latest data on how younger generations see the pharmaceutical industry. As the spotlight often falls on drug innovation, patent races, and regulatory debates, it’s easy to overlook that one of pharma’s most critical assets is now slipping: public trust, especially among Gen Z and millennials.

YouGov’s BrandIndex, which tracks public perceptions daily, reveals that over the last year the satisfaction scores among Gen Z with the drugmaker sector tumbled from a net 7 to just 4. That drop isn’t a blip, it’s meaningful, and it underscores a growing disillusionment. Millennials, too, saw their satisfaction fall, from 9 down to 6 in the same span. Meanwhile, older generations held relatively steady. The Silent Generation still ranks highest in satisfaction, at 14 on the net scale.

Part of the shift involves perceived value. When asked whether drug companies offer “good value for money,” Gen Z’s net score cratered from about 7 a year ago to 2. Millennials’ score halved from 5 to 1. Interestingly, even Gen X slipped into the fold on this measure, matching millennials’ score of 1 as of September 2025.

What’s behind this fracture? YouGov suggests that younger people increasingly question how well pharma serves them. It’s not just about prices, it’s about purpose, transparency, and meaning. Trust, after all, doesn’t form in a vacuum. It reflects where people get their information, how they feel they’re being treated, and whether institutions engage reliably with them.

That puzzle connects directly to how Gen Z sources health information. About 56 percent of Gen Z respondents still say they turn to doctors or health professionals for medical guidance, but that’s well below the 69 percent in older age groups. In contrast, Gen Z is more likely to rely on friends, family, or social media for wellness tips. Forty-eight percent trust friends and family, and 38 percent use social media, compared to 22 percent of older generations who view social media as a trusted health source.

Here lies the rub: if younger people are less satisfied with pharma but more likely to consume health content through social media, where nuance, scientific rigor, and regulation are weaker, they become more vulnerable to misinformation, hype, or biased messaging. For an industry already navigating issues of cost, access, and regulation, this divergence in trust is a warning.

What should pharma do now? It can’t ignore these trends. If Gen Z and millennials, who will define the future of consumer markets, feel alienated or skeptical, the industry risks losing relevance and legitimacy. To rebuild confidence, pharma needs to engage differently, with clearer communication, open dialogue, accountability, and a commitment to more human-centered practices.

Trust once lost is hard to reclaim. But denying or downplaying these cracks in perception won’t help. The industry is challenged not only by science and regulation, but by perception and social currents. In this moment, listening might matter as much as innovating.

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