Christina M. Madison, Pharm.D., FCCP, AAHIVP, is a residency-trained clinical pharmacist and public health communications strategist based in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the Founder and CEO of The Public Health Pharmacist, PLLC, a public health consulting firm established in 2019 that focuses on translating evidence into culturally responsive health communication, media strategy, and community-centered public health education.

Madison’s Public Health Reach

A defining feature of Madison’s work is public-facing education at scale to advance health literacy. Through more than 200+ on-air television appearances, including Good Morning America (GMA3: What You Need to Know), she translates medical evidence into clear, practical guidance that supports informed decision-making and counters mis and disinformation. Madison also contributed to WIRED’s “Pharmacology Support,” answering widely searched medication questions with an evidence-first approach.

Most recently, Madison has expanded her communications work through collaborations that support evidence-based public education and small business empowerment, including work aligned with The Evidence Collective (a network of trusted health communicators) and Verizon Small Business programming through its “Ask the Expert(s)” learning series.

Why Pharmacy

Madison chose clinical pharmacy because she wanted a career where science directly changes outcomes. Where the “why” behind a decision matters as much as the decision itself. Early on in her professional journey, Madison was drawn to public health because as she notes, “it’s where prevention, trust, and long-term relationships live.” That path naturally led her to communicable diseases management and sexual health: HIV care, STI management, and immunizations are fields where evidence evolves quickly, stigma can be a barrier to care, and pharmacists can make an immediate difference by improving access and optimizing therapy.

Advocacy & Advice

Madsion is a strong proponent of advocacy in pharmacy. She shares that the most important form of advocacy is protecting and expanding evidence-based pharmacist care models that improve access to quality health care and improve health care outcomes. That includes advocating for appropriate scope, sustainable reimbursement, and policy that allows pharmacists to practice at the top of their license. Madison offers advice to pharmacists who are interested in having a greater role in advocacy:

1. Start local and specific: know your state practice act, identify one barrier patients face, and tie your advocacy to a concrete outcome (access, cost, safety, adherence).
2. Pair data with a story: embrace the power of storytelling by engaging with policymakers to remember people, not just numbers in a spreadsheet—but bring both.
3. Build coalitions: partner with physicians, nurses, public health leaders, and community organizations so the message isn’t “pharmacists want more,” but “patients need this.”
4. Be consistent: advocacy is a repetition game. Show up, follow up, and keep receipts (evidence, outcomes, testimonials).

Impact and Inspiration!

Madison’s impact spans policy, practice, and public understanding. She works to inform legislative conversations, help organizations embed equity into operations, and ensure that communities receive clear, respectful, and actionable health information. Madison shares that her goal is to ensure that evidence-based care is not only available, but also understandable and trustworthy for the people who need it most.