Marques Williams

A Pillar of the Community

Marques Williams, BS ’18, PharmD ’20, is making the most of his PharmD degree, paving a path for future pharmacists and improving the health of the Black community.

In 1972, a group of Black pharmacists formed the Greater Philadelphia Pharmaceutical Society in an effort to support the careers of Black pharmacy students and the health of the Black community. The group recruited future pharmacists, offered scholarships and built relationships with civic leaders in service of its mission.

Fifty years later, Marques Williams, BS ’18, PharmD ’20, is leading a revival of that mission as president of the Greater Philadelphia Pharmaceutical Association (GPPA), serving at a young age as a central figure in a renewed effort among the region’s pharmacists to improve the health and well-being of Philadelphia’s Black community. As reports on the health of the city during the pandemic indicated, life expectancy was declining among Black Philadelphians, and morbidity and mortality were on the rise. Under Williams’ leadership, the GPPA has set out to change that through educational workshops on health literacy and chronic diseases, as well as through support of the next generation of pharmacists devoted to community health.

As he prepared last October to deliver his inaugural presidential speech at the organization’s chartering ceremony, Williams found himself filled with the sense that his path had given him purpose.

“I felt there were no bounds to our ambition as an association because our collective resolve to heal our community was paramount,” Williams says.

Patrice Carmichael, GPPA co-founder and treasurer and a pharmacist at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital who supervised Williams during a college internship, says Williams is a passionate leader who has been critical to establishing the organization. He has quickly built relationships with other pharmacist organizations, expanding the GPPA’s reach and uniting a community that has often lacked cohesion despite the shared mission of groups across the region, she says.

“He truly exemplifies what I’m hoping young leaders would look like,” Carmichael says. “He makes me hopeful for our future, not just in pharmacy but in the world.”

Williams’ contributions aren’t limited to his work with the GPPA. As the strategy and execution program manager within the global medical affairs neuroscience team at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, he works with partners across the organization to lay the foundation for “big picture” projects looking “far ahead into the future of medicine,” he says. He helps ensure that Janssen’s clinical programs across the globe are carried out in accordance with regional guidance and meet the objectives of both the company and patients. It’s a nontraditional role for a pharmacy graduate, he says, but one that allows him to have an impact at a larger scale than if he worked at a community pharmacy. It also allows him to ensure that the patient's perspective is helping to inform the development of future medicines, as well as the company’s educational outreach.

The path to a position within the pharmaceutical industry is extremely competitive, Carmichael says. For Williams, the journey began in earnest while volunteering as a student-pharmacist at the Cooper Rowan Clinic, a student-run medical clinic in Camden, New Jersey, that aims to reduce healthcare disparities among the city’s underserved population. It allowed him to see the shortcomings of the current healthcare system and inspired him to commit his career to making a meaningful impact. The experience also motivated him to look beyond his professional career in pursuit of that change.

“I saw the amount of resources available to the clinic, and how impactful they were for what little it was,” Williams says. “It dawned on me that we have to do more outside of our 9-to-5 jobs if we really want to make a change in the society we live in through health outcomes.”

In addition to his work at Janssen and with the GPPA, Williams also works part time at Whitehall Pharmacy, allowing him to stay connected to his community and the day-to-day work of a pharmacist. In that time, he’s come to understand “the value of independent pharmacies as pillars in the community,” he says — places where people can get their questions answered and find support in pursuing their medical goals.

While Williams was in his PharmD program, a course he took on global pharmacy practice with alumnus and adjunct instructor Cornelius Pitts, RPh, BS ‘73, PharmD ‘04,expanded his understanding of a pharmacist’s capabilities, he says. Through Pitts’ mentorship, he realized how pharmacists can and do serve as pillars of their communities and are an integral part of the healthcare ecosystem. 

Now, Williams is carrying forward that mission. He wants to demonstrate to current and future pharmacy students that there are many ways to make an impact, and he wants to be an example for his community.

“I want to show them what’s achievable,” Williams says. “Your circumstances don’t have to determine where you end up in life.”

In his professional career and in his volunteer pursuits, Williams is already setting the example.

“Our future is in good hands,” Carmichael says.

Connect with Marques Williams.