Written by Cong Cao, MPharm, UK Registered Pharmacist (GPhC) · 5 minute read
When an online pharmacy or clinic decides to outsource its content, the first question is usually who to hire. A medical writing agency offers a team and a process. A freelance writer offers a direct relationship and, in my case, a pharmacist writing every word.
I am a freelancer, so I am not neutral. But both options suit different businesses, and the wrong choice wastes money either way. Here is an honest comparison.
What an agency offers
Capacity. An agency can put several writers on a project at once, which helps if you need a hundred product pages in a month or content in several languages.
A wider service. Many agencies combine writing with design, SEO strategy, social media and account management. If you want one supplier for everything, that is convenient.
Continuity. If one writer is ill or leaves, someone else picks up the work.
The trade-offs are cost and distance. Agency fees cover account managers and agency margins as well as the writing. And the person writing your content may not have clinical training. Some agencies have pharmacists or doctors who review copy, but it is worth asking who actually writes it.
What a freelance pharmacist writer offers
Clinical accuracy built in. The person writing understands doses and interactions, and knows where the regulatory lines sit. Errors are caught while writing rather than at a review stage.
Direct contact. You brief the person doing the work, and feedback goes straight to them. There are no messages lost between an account manager and a writer.
Lower overheads. Without agency layers, more of your budget goes on the writing itself.
The trade-offs are capacity and range. One person can only produce so much each week, and a freelancer may not offer design or paid advertising. It is worth agreeing timescales early for large projects.
Side by side
| Agency | Freelance pharmacist | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes | Varies, may not be clinically trained | A registered pharmacist |
| Clinical accuracy | Depends on the review process | Built into the writing |
| Communication | Through an account manager | Direct with the writer |
| Capacity | High, several writers | Limited to one person |
| Extra services | Often design, SEO strategy, social | Usually writing and content SEO |
| Cost | Higher, includes overheads | Usually lower for the same work |
How pricing usually works
Both agencies and freelancers tend to price in one of three ways, and it helps to know which you are being offered.
Per word pricing is simple to compare but can reward padding. A 1,500 word product page is not better than a clear 800 word one.
Per piece pricing, such as a fixed fee for a product page or a blog, is the most common for pharmacy work. Check what it includes such as research, references, meta titles and the number of edits.
Retainers cover a set amount of work each month, such as four articles and ten product pages. They suit pharmacies that publish regularly and want a writer who already knows their brand and products.
Whichever model you choose, ask for a written quote that lists what is included. Hidden costs usually come from extra rounds of edits or research charged separately.
Which should you choose?
An agency is likely the better fit if you need a very large volume quickly or want design and marketing handled in the same place.
A freelance pharmacist is likely the better fit if accuracy and compliance are your main concern, or you need regular, well-referenced content without paying for services you will not use.
Some pharmacies use both: an agency for design and campaigns, and a pharmacist writer for product pages and clinical content.
Two examples
An independent online pharmacy adding a weight management service needs a handful of condition pages, product pages and a consultation journey that meets GPhC guidance. Accuracy matters more than volume, so a pharmacist writer is usually the more cost-effective choice.
A large pharmacy chain relaunching its whole website, with hundreds of pages, new branding and campaigns across social media, needs project management and design as much as writing. An agency is often the better fit, ideally with a clinically trained writer or reviewer involved for the medicine pages.
Start with a trial piece
Whoever you are considering, a paid trial is the quickest way to judge quality. Choose a real page you need, such as a product page for one of your best sellers, and compare the result against your current version. You will learn more from one finished page than from any sales call.
Look at how they handled the brief, whether every claim is referenced and whether the page would pass your superintendent pharmacist's review without major changes.
Warning signs to look out for
Whether you are talking to an agency or a freelancer, a few things should make you pause.
No examples of medicine or pharmacy content, only general marketing work
Reluctance to say who will write the content or what their background is
Promises of first-page Google rankings within weeks
Drafts with no references, or references to other retailers' websites
Copy that makes bold claims about prescription medicines, even in samples
That last point matters more than it might seem. A writer who is comfortable promoting prescription medicines in a sample is likely to do the same on your website, and it is your pharmacy that will be named in any ASA ruling.
Agree the details in writing
Before work starts, agree the scope, price, deadlines and number of edits in writing, even if it is only a short email. It is also worth confirming that you will own the finished content once it is paid for and whether the writer can show it in their portfolio. Some pharmacies are happy for this while others prefer their work to stay confidential.
If you share patient feedback, internal data or unpublished plans as part of the brief, a simple confidentiality agreement protects both sides.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
Who will actually write the content, and what is their clinical background?
Can I see examples similar to what I need with references?
How do you make sure content follows MHRA and ASA rules?
How many rounds of edits are included?
What turnaround can you commit to for a project of this size?
Who owns the content once it is paid for?
Any writer worth hiring will be happy to answer these. A vague answer to the first question tells you a lot.
Want to work with a pharmacist writer?
I write product pages, health articles and healthcare professional materials for UK pharmacies and clinics, and you deal with me from the first brief to the final draft. You can see examples in my portfolio or request a quote on my services page.