pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Examples of pharma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The county attorney presented a plan to sue several big pharma companies for the deceptive marketing practices that triggered the opioid epidemic, following the pattern established by lawsuits filed against tobacco companies starting in the 1990s. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026

Uniquely situated at the center of the healthcare ecosystem, GoodRx connects consumers, healthcare professionals, payers, PBMs, pharma manufacturers, and retail pharmacies to make saving on medications easier. — Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Many pharmaceutical industry experts had expected that patients would ​prefer pills over injections, for convenience, but 8 of 10 doctors interviewed and three pharma sector analysts said many are opting ⁠for injectables. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 23 July 2026

This seems to be the line of thinking at other pharma giants like Eli Lilly and Roche as well, who bought their compute in October 2025 and March 2026, respectively. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for pharmaceutical

First Known Use

1992, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pharma

• dharma
• karma

Medical Definition

pharma

noun

phar·​ma ˈfär-mə 

: a pharmaceutical company

But the rate at which pharmas have grown in size pales beside the acceleration of relevant scientific knowledge during the same period.

—Science

also : large pharmaceutical companies as a group

Another issue pharma will face is an even more cost-conscious consumer as a result of insurers continuing to pass on additional costs to their members.

—Shaun Urban, Medical Marketing and Media

The Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted in 2003, and scheduled to go into effect in 2006, promises a windfall for big pharma since it forbids the government from negotiating prices.

—Marcia Angell, The New York Review of Books