White papers are one of the most powerful tools pharma has, but they’re also one of the easiest to derail. I’ve seen it time and again: a project kicks off with big strategic aims (build consensus, influence stakeholders, shape the conversation). But somewhere between draft three and version twelve, the clarity goes missing. The messaging drifts. Timelines slip. People get frustrated.
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve worked on white papers across just about every type of set-up, across therapy areas, audiences and formats. And the same issues crop up, whether you’re writing for payers, policymakers, HCPs or internal decision-makers.
What I’ve learned is this: the best white papers benefit from having someone in the room who can zoom out, see the whole picture, and steer things forward without endless rework.
In this piece, I’ll walk you through how I approach white paper development, including what helps, what hinders, and how to avoid common pitfalls that slow teams down.
A White Paper Writing Process That Works: My Step-by-Step Approach
There’s no off-the-shelf formula, but there is a proven structure that helps pharma white papers succeed, especially as multiple stakeholders are often involved.
This is the process I guide clients through on every project.
1. Define the Purpose and the Reader
Before anything else, get crystal clear on why you’re writing this paper and who you want to read it.
This will shape everything: from tone and structure to the kind of evidence you prioritise. For example, a white paper aimed at regulators needs a different voice and emphasis than one designed for investors or internal leadership.
The most successful papers have a single, specific goal: inform policymakers about access barriers, support an investor pitch, or align cross-functional teams around an R&D strategy.
2. Gather the Right Inputs
Next, bring together the materials your writer or agency will need. This might include:
- Internal decks or research summaries
- Published literature or data sources
- Notes from discovery meetings or stakeholder interviews
- Access to subject matter experts (SMEs) or focus group input
The more context you provide, the more strategic and accurate the white paper will be. Data alone isn’t enough: as writers, we need to understand the why behind it.
3. Decide on a Core Message
Ask your team: What do we want the reader to understand, believe, or do after reading this?
Once you’ve nailed that message, it becomes the thread that runs through the whole piece, helping keep content focused and purposeful.
Think of it as your North Star. For example:
“Current approaches to AI in healthcare risk widening health inequities — here’s how to avoid that.”
Get this down in a sentence, and use it to guide every section.
4. Develop (and Agree on) the Outline
This is one of the most important (and most overlooked) steps.
Based on my experience, agreeing on an outline upfront ensures everyone is aligned before the writing begins. It prevents unnecessary rewrites, scope creep, and review confusion down the line.
A typical structure includes:
- Executive summary
- Background and context
- Problem or challenge
- Supporting evidence or insights
- Recommendation or point of view
- Conclusion and next steps
5. Start Writing but Stay Flexible
Once the outline is approved, drafting can begin. I focus on clarity, not cleverness, especially when writing for decision-makers. That means:
- Plain language, short sentences, no jargon walls
- Professional but not academic tone
- Clear transitions and takeaways
- Formatting that guides the reader
The goal is to create a white paper that a busy stakeholder can skim and still grasp the message.
6. Reviews, Feedback, and SME Input
Reviews are where many white papers stall. To keep things moving:
- Nominate one content lead or project owner
- Agree on feedback deadlines up front
- Coordinate SME input early
- Use collaborative tools (like shared documents) to manage comments
Collaboration is key here. As a writer, I guide the review process and manage your feedback to shape a stronger, more strategic final product.
7. Final Polish, Design, and Delivery
At this stage:
- I provide formatting notes for the designer (e.g. pull quotes, charts, layout tips)
- We make sure visuals align with the narrative
- We review the layout to ensure clarity and visual flow
A beautifully designed paper can make it more effective, especially when shared as a leave-behind or stakeholder tool.
Where White Papers Go Off the Rails (and How to Keep Yours on Track)
Here are five of the most common ways I’ve seen pharmaceutical white papers lose focus, momentum, or impact, and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Unclear Goals from the Start
If the objective isn’t nailed down at the start, the content drifts. One reviewer wants more product detail, another wants thought leadership, and suddenly the paper is trying to do five jobs and doing none of them well.
Fix it early: Align on one clear audience and objective. If you need multiple versions for different stakeholders, consider adapting the content into companion pieces rather than stretching one asset too far.
2. Too Many Stakeholders (and No Decision-Maker)
Everyone has an opinion, and when you’re working with medical affairs, commercial, regulatory, and policy teams, that’s inevitable. But without a clear editorial lead, those opinions pull the content in different directions.
What helps: Nominate one content owner, someone who can manage feedback, mediate conflicting opinions, and keep the message intact. This reduces delays and protects the integrity of the content.
3. Scope Creep
It starts as an eight-page white paper… and ends as a 24-page deck with appendices and supporting materials. Valuable insights get buried, and what should be a persuasive, focused asset becomes harder to review, design, or use strategically.
Best defence: Stick to the agreed outline. If scope changes are necessary, revise the plan explicitly, but keep sight of your original goal and reader.
4. Slow or Disconnected Reviews
This one’s a silent killer.
Reviews are delayed, feedback arrives in different formats, and key stakeholders weigh in late (often with significant changes). That leads to rushed revisions, mismatched tone, and reduced quality.
Smart workaround: Build review milestones into your project plan. Set expectations on who reviews what and when. If your writer stays involved through final sign-off, they can ensure consistency and alignment across rounds.
5. No Plan for Design and Delivery
The writing’s done. The team’s happy. And then… it sits in a shared folder for three weeks because no one briefed the designer.
Or the paper lands on the website with a wall of text, no headings, and broken formatting.
Design matters: Treat layout and delivery as part of the process from day one. Provide clear design guidance alongside the final draft, and schedule time for layout review before publication. A well-structured paper reads well, but it should also look credible and be easier to share.
A strong process saves time, budget, and your sanity, and that’s where good freelance support makes the difference.
How Freelance Support Fits into Pharma White Paper Projects
If you’re working with a MedComms agency to develop a white paper, chances are there’s a freelance medical writer behind the scenes, shaping the narrative and driving the content forward.
White papers in pharma are collaborative by default: they’re shaped by strategy leads, reviewed by internal teams, and influenced by external stakeholders like KOLs, compliance, and commercial teams. But to move from high-level ideas to a coherent, effective document, you need someone who can hold all those threads together.
That’s where freelance support adds real, measurable value.
1. Freelancers Handle the Complexity Behind the Scenes
A seasoned freelance writer knows how to step into a complex content environment and bring order to the chaos. When a MedComms agency brings me on board, I’m not only “writing”: I’m translating strategy into structure, and structure into copy that actually works.
That means:
- Synthesising inputs from multiple teams and formats (slide decks, transcripts, meeting notes)
- Spotting when the narrative is drifting or becoming overloaded
- Keeping the message aligned to the agreed objective and audience
- Managing editorial flow across several rounds of SME and internal reviews
This work is often ghostwritten, and rightly so. My goal is to elevate the agency and ensure the pharma client gets a paper that’s clear, credible, and ready for action.
As the Head of Social Media in a leading Healthcare Communications agency put it:
“Rachel was critical in helping us build a unique story for one of our large pharma clients. The client was extremely happy with the final piece, which has been their premier piece of content in 2022.”
2. Freelancers Keep the Focus When Projects Evolve
I keep timelines moving, questions answered, and the message on track, even as the brief evolves.
My role in these scenarios often includes:
- Holding the agreed outline steady when new ideas surface
- Asking strategic questions when feedback is contradictory
- Adapting tone or emphasis for different audiences, from regulators to commercial leads
And this saves your team hours of internal back-and-forth.
3. Freelancers Deliver Strategy Without Adding to the Workload
By embedding a freelancer into your MedComms project, you free up internal teams to focus on what matters: shaping the message, approving the science, aligning stakeholders.
There’s no need to micro-manage content development. Instead, you gain someone who understands:
- The nuance of writing for regulatory, policy, and commercial audiences
- Where to push back and when to flex
- How to transform a broad or disjointed brief into a polished, ready-to-publish asset
You gain a white paper that lands with impact without draining your team’s time or momentum.
FAQ: How to Write Effective White Papers in Pharma
1. How do you write a white paper for the pharmaceutical industry?
Start by clarifying the purpose and target audience, whether it’s policy leaders, investors, or internal stakeholders. From there, build a structure around their needs: introduce the problem, present the evidence, and lead to a clear strategic insight or recommendation. You’ll also need strong inputs: SME insights, published data, and internal research. If you’re working with a MedComms agency, ensure your brief is focused and the review process is aligned — this will help your writer stay on track.
2. What is the best format for a pharmaceutical white paper?
There’s no single right format for a pharma white paper: it depends on your audience. That said, most pharma white papers follow this proven arc:
Executive Summary → Background → Challenge → Evidence → Strategic Insight → Conclusion.
Your writer should adapt this structure to your goals. For example, a paper aimed at payers may emphasise cost-effectiveness data, while one for policy teams may focus on systemic challenges and patient impact. For more information, I’ve shared 4 white paper templates here: How to use a medical white paper.
3. What makes a pharma white paper credible?
Credibility hinges on three things:
- Clarity (use of plain, accessible language)
- Evidence (backed by trusted data or expert insight)
- Transparency (clearly stating your point of view without being overtly promotional)
It’s also important that reviewers (medical, regulatory, and legal) are looped in early, so your message doesn’t get diluted or delayed.
4. Can AI tools help create white papers?
AI tools can help with early drafts, content summaries, or outlining, but they don’t replace the strategic thinking, regulatory awareness, or audience nuance required in pharma. Most successful white papers rely on human writers to translate complex science into a clear, persuasive message. I think of AI as a support tool, not a solution in itself.
Final Thoughts: If you want Your White Paper to Succeed, start Here
If you’re working with a MedComms agency on a white paper (or planning to brief one in), here’s what makes the biggest difference:
- Get clear on audience and purpose: Is it for policymakers, internal teams, or investors? Do you want to explain, persuade, or position? Get this straight early: it’ll shape everything from the structure to the tone.
- Align on a single message: Even if you’re pulling insights from multiple SMEs or KOLs, try to align on one big takeaway. What do you want readers to think, understand, or do when they’re done reading?
- Lock in the outline early: Scope creep is real — especially when different stakeholders come in with different priorities. A short, agreed outline keeps the paper focused and stops it from turning into a 20-page textbook.
- Set feedback milestones and stick to them: Late-stage feedback is where many papers fall apart. Make sure SMEs and internal reviewers know when their input is needed and keep the process centralised. (Your writer will thank you.)
- Bring your writer into SME conversations: Freelance medical writers, especially those brought in by MedComms agencies, often do the heavy lifting quietly. We’re ghostwriting, shaping messaging, reconciling feedback, and flagging red flags before they become bigger problems. By giving us access to SMEs and bringing us clarity, we help your team shine.
And if you need someone who thrives in the detail and knows how to steer big, complex projects across the finish line, I’d love to help.
