Hina Patel’s Dedication to Pharmacy, Family, and Community
Driven by her love of science and passion for service, Hina Patel, PharmD ’98, has put helping others at the forefront of her diverse career.
Story by Sarah Clark | Photo provided by Hina Patel | Published March 25, 2025
Driven by her love of science and passion for service, Hina Patel, PharmD ’98, has put helping others at the forefront of her diverse career. From studying in Beard Hall to co-founding a business, Hina’s compassion has made a tangible impact on both her local community and the School.
During her time at the School, Hina nurtured a love of pharmacology, a tight-knit study group, and developed a keen interest in research. Embracing this range of experiences allowed Hina to broaden her horizons and hone her skills in clinical work, research, and beyond. Her diverse career allowed Hina to develop a holistic understanding of the pharmacy profession, which led her to start a consulting firm, Scientific and Medical Affairs Consulting (SMAC), with her business partner in 2018. “I was able to take all the experience I had as a clinical pharmacist, all the experience I had as an MSL in industry and provide a service to companies that are developing new drugs,” Hina explains.
SMAC is a consulting firm that provides its clients with support from the early stages of drug development all the way to commercialization. With 10 employees and over 30 clients, Hina and her business partner are now looking to the future. Next for SMAC, other than the constant search for new clients, is to expand their area of expertise outside of infection diseases, as well incorporate AI into their business. For Hina, the most rewarding part of owning her own business is getting to help her clients. “What always puts a smile on my face is when we’ve helped a client get over to the finish line and they have their drug approved,” Hina notes. “There is nothing more exciting than being able to share that news and knowing you had a part in that.”
While Hina’s passion for helping others shines through her work in pharmacy, her service extends beyond the office. Growing up, Hina’s father and grandparents showed her the importance of service and helping your community. After losing her father to COVID, Hina turned her grief into action, and volunteered her time administering vaccinations to her local community during the mass immunization initiative. “To be part of that, knowing what COVID had done to me and my family . . . there were people who were scared and who didn’t want to take the injection but came because they were looking out for their family and those around them,” she shares, emphasizing the importance of community and sharing your personal story with others.
Hina continues to honor her father’s memory and her family’s dedication to service by giving back to the Carolina Pharmacy community. This year, at the Third Annual Golden Mortar Awards, the Navnit Dhana and Family Student Award will be presented for the first time. Hina established this award and named it after her father. The award will be presented to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence and exceptional commitment to community service. “This is made in honor of our dad and my family. I want to help the next generation of pharmacists, and hopefully there is someone, like me, who wants to help others, and I don’t want them to struggle financially to get where they need to be in order to be a good pharmacist,” Hina explains. Right now, this endowment funds an award, but will hopefully be turned into a scholarship in the coming years.
While Hina continues to positively impact the lives of others, she makes sure to balance her work and personal life. When she is not working, you may find Hina traveling, hiking, or at the golf course with her new set of clubs, learning to golf with her partner, Jeff. Though it took some time, Hina has been able to establish time for herself and her family to enjoy all life has to offer.