In this deeply human episode of The HumanUp Imperative, host Rex Wallace sits down with Rich Schwartz, filmmaker turned pharma CX strategist, WebMD alum, patient advocate, dog and horse whisperer, to unpack why trust and reciprocity function like clinical variables. From Rich’s roots documenting health in Appalachia to his work redesigning experiences across pharma, devices, and diagnostics, we explore how patients end up swimming in “pea soup” with providers, payers, PBMs, pharmacies, and public programs and what it takes to restore clarity, compassion, and outcomes.
We cover:
🧪 “Experiences of medicine”: why expectations plus realities equal outcomes, and how trust, reciprocity, and compassion (think Compassionomics, The Rabbit Effect, The Wonder Drug) measurably improve adherence and healing.
🧭 Rich’s arc: storyteller in Appalachia, then WebMD, then life sciences CX; the personal health crisis that humbled him and reframed his mission.
🥣 “Pea soup,” explained: how misaligned incentives across patients, providers, payers, PBMs, pharmacies, and public programs create friction, and why the patient P too often loses.
•💊 At the counter: a plain-English tour of WAC, rebates, PBMs, wholesalers, and 340B spreads, plus Rich’s call for transparency that benefits the actual human paying $100 at the pharmacy.
📺 DTC reality check: massive TV ad spend vs. meaningful patient support, what “67% took an action” leaves out, and how to redirect budget into real experience programs.
🧑⚕️ From sales rep to “resolution rep”: easing practice burden to fight clinician burnout and protect the one thing doctors value most, the relationship with patients.
🧑🤝🧑 Teach people to be effective patients: self-advocacy, the right to “fire” a misaligned clinician, and Rich’s favorite acronym: GAS (Gives A Sh*t).
📈 The Helpfulness Index: Rich’s metric for manufacturers and teams, are you actually showing up helpful to patients and providers, within compliance.
🌄 Awe and moral beauty: why witnessing humans help humans changes us; book picks including Dacher Keltner’s Awe, Harari’s Sapiens, and Unreasonable Hospitality.
💼 Leading through loss: layoffs, letting go, and the courage to publish; imposter syndrome, children’s stories, and why dogs and horses keep us honest.
✨ One way to human up: design for fewer negative moments since they outweigh positives, then obsess over small, repeatable acts of helpfulness that clearly signal we give a sh*t.
