How Retail Pharmacies Are Taking on Clinical Trials

August 8, 2023

What role do retail pharmacies have in research studies? In this episode of the Scope of Things, host Deborah Borfitz speaks with Ramita Tandon, Chief Clinical Trials Officer at Walgreens. Tandon discusses how retail pharmacies can play an important role in increasing access and retention in sponsor-lead drug development research. She also shares the specific approaches Walgreens is adopting in the US that have been gaining traction. Finally, she talks about why it is important to begin diversity and inclusion planning early in the drug development process and how it can allow researchers to think more holistically through the phases of clinical trials.

Ramita Tandon, Chief Clinical Trials Officer, Walgreens
As the Chief Clinical Trials Officer at Walgreens, Ramita Tandon is responsible for leading and driving growth for the Company’s new clinical trials business. In her role, Ramita works across the healthcare and life sciences industries to enable next-generation clinical trials so that breakthrough treatments reach patients faster. Her team is focused on unlocking value and improving access, awareness and trust by efficiently matching diverse patient populations to sponsor-led trials, reducing trial operational complexities and patient burdens, as well as capitalizing on Walgreens deep patient insights and leveraging real-world data from owned and partner assets.

Ramita brings more than 25 years of leadership and operational experience across a portfolio of industry-leading businesses and services in real-world evidence and patient-centered health outcomes. Prior to joining Walgreens, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Trio Health, and prior to that she was the Executive Vice President, Commercialization and Outcomes at ICON.

As a transformational leader, Ramita is passionate in her belief that a best-in-class operating model employing insights and innovation can deliver gains in operations and forge stronger connections with all stakeholders, including biopharmaceutical companies, healthcare systems and payers. Ramita has recently been named to Drug Store News’ Top Women in Health, Wellness & Beauty class of 2022 for Business Excellence, Fierce Healthcare’s 2022 Women of Influence and listed in the 2018 PharmaVOICE 100.

Ramita is an internationally recognized speaker and author whose focus is on how to bridge the gap between commercial and clinical development. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Boston University School of Public Health.