Tyler Wagner didn't just want to help patients one prescription at a time — he wanted to change the systems that determine which medications they can access in the first place.
Wagner, who earned his pharmacy degree in 2019, now serves as director of research at the National Pharmaceutical Council in Washington, D.C., where he leads health policy research on value assessment, access to innovation and health equity. His path was shaped by transformative experiences while at the College of Pharmacy.
I witnessed firsthand the barriers that patients face to accessing life-saving medications.
“My rotation with a federally funded Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinic was really transformative in shaping my policy focus,” Wagner says. “I witnessed firsthand the barriers that patients face to accessing life-saving medications.”
His rotation with the clinic coincided with the emergence of once-daily HIV therapies. Wagner saw how innovative medications could dramatically impact patients' lives — but policy and coverage decisions determined who could access them.
“The experience showed me how pharmacy research could address systemic barriers rather than just individual patient needs,” he says. This led him to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research.
After earning a B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences through the South Carolina Honors College and his Pharm.D. from the College of Pharmacy, Wagner went on to earn his Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University.
He credits USC faculty including Gene Reeder, Amy Grant, Brandon Bookstaver and Cynthia Phillips with fostering his early research collaborations and supporting his career exploration.
This profession needs pharmacists who understand both the clinical and policy sides of health care.
Today, Wagner oversees research projects on cutting-edge treatments, such as cell and gene therapies that can cure cancer or inherited conditions like spinal muscular atrophy. He is examining payment models and coverage challenges for these groundbreaking treatments.
His advice to current students? “Pharmacy is evolving rapidly beyond traditional roles,” he says. “Interact with pharmacists from diverse backgrounds, develop strong relationships with mentors and don't be afraid to pursue nontraditional career paths.”
Whether students end up in direct patient care or in health policy research, Wagner emphasizes that broad perspectives matter.
“This profession needs pharmacists who understand both the clinical and policy sides of health care.”
Topics: Pharm.D. Program, Alumni, Research and Practice