SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported)
                                December 30, 1997

                     PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING SERVICES INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  Delaware                          01-9723                     51-0335521
  --------                         ---------                    ------------
(State or other                   (Commission                  (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                    File Number)                 Identification
incorporation)                                                  Number)


                       45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
                       ----------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)


                                 (212) 841-0610
               --------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)



                                 Not Applicable
               ---------------------------------------------------
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)



                              Exhibit index on Page 7


<PAGE>


ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

     On December 30, 1997,  the Board of Directors of  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
Services  Inc.  (the  "Company")  declared a  distribution  of one common  share
purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding  share of common stock, $.01 par
value (the "Common  Shares"),  of the Company.  The  distribution  is payable on
January 9, 1998 to the  stockholders  of record on that date. As of December 16,
1997, 12,350,771 Common Shares were issued and outstanding.  Each Right entitles
the registered holder, subject to the terms of the Rights Agreement, to purchase
from the Company  one-third (1/3) of a Common Share of the Company at a price of
$60 per  one-third  of a Common  Share  (the  "Purchase  Price")  under  certain
circumstances and subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights
are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company
and Harris Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").

     Initially,  the  Rights  will  attach  to  all  Common  Share  certificates
representing  outstanding  shares and no  separate  Right  Certificate  (defined
below) will be distributed.  The Rights will separate from the Common Shares and
a  Distribution  Date will occur upon the  earlier of (i) ten days  following  a
public  announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated  persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial  ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding  Voting Shares (as defined in the Rights  Agreement) of the Company,
and (ii) ten business days  following the  commencement  or  announcement  of an
intention  to  commence a tender  offer or  exchange  offer  (other  than by the
Company, any subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any subsidiary of the Company, or any Trustee of or fiduciary with respect
to any such plan when acting in such capacity) the  consummation  of which would
result in the  beneficial  ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of such
outstanding Voting Shares.

     Until the  Distribution  Date (or earlier  redemption  or expiration of the
Rights)  (i) the Rights  will be  evidenced,  with  respect to any of the Common
Shares  outstanding on January 9, 1998, by certificates  for outstanding  Common
Shares and not by separate  certificates  evidencing the Rights, (ii) the Rights
will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares, (iii) new Common Share
certificates  issued after January 9, 1998, upon transfer or new issuance of the
Common Shares,  will contain a notation  incorporating  the Rights  Agreement by
reference,  and (iv) the surrender for transfer of any  certificates  for Common
Shares  outstanding  as of January 9, 1998 will also  constitute the transfer of
the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates.

     As  soon  as  practicable   following  the  Distribution   Date,   separate
certificates evidencing the Rights (the "Right Certifi-

                                        2

<PAGE>


cates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close
of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right  Certificates alone
will thereafter evidence the Rights.

     The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will
expire on the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the Rights Agreement
(the "Final  Expiration  Date"),  unless the Final Expiration Date is changed or
the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.

     Subject to action of the Board of  Directors  of the  Company  pursuant  to
Section 25 of the Rights Agreement,  if a person or group were to acquire 15% or
more  of  the  Voting  Shares  of the  Company,  each  holder  of a  Right  then
outstanding (other than Rights  beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person which
would  become null and void)  shall  thereafter  have a right to  receive,  upon
exercise  thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied
by the  number  of  one-thirds  of a  Common  Share  for  which a Right  is then
exercisable,  such  number of Common  Shares of the  Company as shall  equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number
of  one-thirds  of a Common  Share  for  which a Right is then  exercisable  and
dividing  that by (y) 50% of the then  current  per  share  market  price of the
Company's Common Shares on the date such person became an Acquiring Person.

     If the  Company  were  acquired in a merger or other  business  combination
transaction  or more than 50% of its  consolidated  assets or earning power were
sold,  proper  provision  will  be  made so that  each  holder  of a Right  will
thereafter  have the right to  receive,  upon the  exercise  thereof at the then
current  Purchase  Price of the Right,  that number of shares of common stock of
the acquiring  company which at the time of such transaction would have a market
value of two times the Purchase Price of the Right.

     The number of Common Shares or other  securities or property  issuable upon
exercise of the Rights, and the Purchase Price payable, are subject to customary
adjustments from time to time to prevent dilution.

     The number of outstanding  Rights and the number of Common Shares  issuable
upon  exercise of each Right are also  subject to  adjustment  in the event of a
stock  split of the  Common  Shares or a stock  dividend  on the  Common  Shares
payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,  consolidations or combinations of the
Common Shares occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

                                        3

<PAGE>


     At any time after the  acquisition  by a person or group of  affiliated  or
associated  persons of  beneficial  ownership of 15% or more of the  outstanding
Voting Shares of the Company and before the  acquisition by a person or group of
50% or more of the  outstanding  Voting  Shares  of the  Company,  the  Board of
Directors may, at its option, issue Common Shares in mandatory redemption of, or
in exchange  for, all or part of the then  outstanding  and  exercisable  Rights
(other than Rights  owned by such  Acquiring  Person or group which would become
null and void) at an  exchange  ratio of one  Common  Share for each two  Common
Shares for which each Right is then exercisable, subject to adjustment.

     At any time  prior  to the  tenth  business  day  after  the  first  public
announcement  that a person or group has become the  beneficial  owner of 15% or
more of the outstanding Voting Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
redeem all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding  Rights at a price of
$.01 per Right (the  "Redemption  Price").  The  redemption of the Rights may be
made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board
of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.  Immediately  upon the action
of the  Board of  Directors  ordering  redemption  of the  Rights,  the right to
exercise the rights will  terminate  and the only right of the holders of Rights
will be to receive the Redemption Price.

     Until a Right is  exercised,  the  holder  thereof,  as such,  will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.

     The terms of the Rights may be  amended  by the Board of  Directors  of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an amendment
to change the Final Expiration Date, and,  provided a Distribution  Date has not
occurred,  to extend the period during which the Rights may be redeemed,  except
that after the Distribution  Date no such amendment may materially and adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.

     The form of Rights  Agreement  between the  Company  and the Rights  Agent,
specifying the terms of the Rights, including the form of Right Certificate, the
form of the Summary of Rights to Purchase  Common Shares and the specimen of the
legend to be placed on new Common  Share  certificates,  is  attached  hereto as
Exhibit 4 and is incorporated herein by reference.  The foregoing description of
the Rights does not purport to be complete  and is  qualified in its entirety by
reference to such Exhibit 4.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

    Exhibit 4       Form of Rights Agreement  between  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
                    Services Inc. and Harris Trust  Company,  including the form
                    of Rights Certif-

                                        4

<PAGE>


                    icate as  Exhibit  A and the form of  Summary  of  Rights to
                    Purchase  Common Shares as Exhibit B. Pursuant to the Rights
                    Agreement,  printed Right Certificates will not be delivered
                    until as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date.

    Exhibit 20(a)   Press Release dated December 30, 1997.

    Exhibit 20(b)   Form of Letter to Stockholders of  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
                    Services  Inc.  regarding  the  adoption  of the Rights Plan
                    pursuant to the Rights Agreement.

                                        5

<PAGE>


                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  Report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                           PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING SERVICES INC.


                           By: /s/ Dennis M.J. Turner
                              ------------------------- 
                              Dennis M.J. Turner
                              Chief Executive Officer

Date: December 31, 1997

                                        6

<PAGE>



                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit                                                Description
-------                                                -----------

4                                                      Rights Agreement

20(a)                                                  Press Release

20(b)                                                  Letter to Stockholders
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported)
                                December 30, 1997

                     PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING SERVICES INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  Delaware                          01-9723                     51-0335521
  --------                         ---------                    ------------
(State or other                   (Commission                  (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                    File Number)                 Identification
incorporation)                                                  Number)

                       45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
                       ----------------------------------
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

                                 (212) 841-0610
               --------------------------------------------------
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
               ---------------------------------------------------
              (Former name, former address and former fiscal year,
                          if changed since last report)

                              Exhibit index on Page 7
ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS.

     On December 30, 1997,  the Board of Directors of  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
Services  Inc.  (the  "Company")  declared a  distribution  of one common  share
purchase right (a "Right") for each outstanding  share of common stock, $.01 par
value (the "Common  Shares"),  of the Company.  The  distribution  is payable on
January 9, 1998 to the  stockholders  of record on that date. As of December 16,
1997, 12,350,771 Common Shares were issued and outstanding.  Each Right entitles
the registered holder, subject to the terms of the Rights Agreement, to purchase
from the Company  one-third (1/3) of a Common Share of the Company at a price of
$60 per  one-third  of a Common  Share  (the  "Purchase  Price")  under  certain
circumstances and subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights
are set forth in a Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") between the Company
and Harris Trust Company, as Rights Agent (the "Rights Agent").

     Initially,  the  Rights  will  attach  to  all  Common  Share  certificates
representing  outstanding  shares and no  separate  Right  Certificate  (defined
below) will be distributed.  The Rights will separate from the Common Shares and
a  Distribution  Date will occur upon the  earlier of (i) ten days  following  a
public  announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated  persons
(an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial  ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding  Voting Shares (as defined in the Rights  Agreement) of the Company,
and (ii) ten business days  following the  commencement  or  announcement  of an
intention  to  commence a tender  offer or  exchange  offer  (other  than by the
Company, any subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company
or of any subsidiary of the Company, or any Trustee of or fiduciary with respect
to any such plan when acting in such capacity) the  consummation  of which would
result in the  beneficial  ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of such
outstanding Voting Shares.

     Until the  Distribution  Date (or earlier  redemption  or expiration of the
Rights)  (i) the Rights  will be  evidenced,  with  respect to any of the Common
Shares  outstanding on January 9, 1998, by certificates  for outstanding  Common
Shares and not by separate  certificates  evidencing the Rights, (ii) the Rights
will be transferred with and only with the Common Shares, (iii) new Common Share
certificates  issued after January 9, 1998, upon transfer or new issuance of the
Common Shares,  will contain a notation  incorporating  the Rights  Agreement by
reference,  and (iv) the surrender for transfer of any  certificates  for Common
Shares  outstanding  as of January 9, 1998 will also  constitute the transfer of
the Rights associated with the Common Shares represented by such certificates.

     As  soon  as  practicable   following  the  Distribution   Date,   separate
certificates evidencing the Rights (the "Right Certifi-

                                        2
cates") will be mailed to holders of record of the Common Shares as of the close
of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right  Certificates alone
will thereafter evidence the Rights.

     The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will
expire on the close of business on the tenth anniversary of the Rights Agreement
(the "Final  Expiration  Date"),  unless the Final Expiration Date is changed or
the Rights are earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company as described below.

     Subject to action of the Board of  Directors  of the  Company  pursuant  to
Section 25 of the Rights Agreement,  if a person or group were to acquire 15% or
more  of  the  Voting  Shares  of the  Company,  each  holder  of a  Right  then
outstanding (other than Rights  beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person which
would  become null and void)  shall  thereafter  have a right to  receive,  upon
exercise  thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied
by the  number  of  one-thirds  of a  Common  Share  for  which a Right  is then
exercisable,  such  number of Common  Shares of the  Company as shall  equal the
result obtained by (x) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number
of  one-thirds  of a Common  Share  for  which a Right is then  exercisable  and
dividing  that by (y) 50% of the then  current  per  share  market  price of the
Company's Common Shares on the date such person became an Acquiring Person.

     If the  Company  were  acquired in a merger or other  business  combination
transaction  or more than 50% of its  consolidated  assets or earning power were
sold,  proper  provision  will  be  made so that  each  holder  of a Right  will
thereafter  have the right to  receive,  upon the  exercise  thereof at the then
current  Purchase  Price of the Right,  that number of shares of common stock of
the acquiring  company which at the time of such transaction would have a market
value of two times the Purchase Price of the Right.

     The number of Common Shares or other  securities or property  issuable upon
exercise of the Rights, and the Purchase Price payable, are subject to customary
adjustments from time to time to prevent dilution.

     The number of outstanding  Rights and the number of Common Shares  issuable
upon  exercise of each Right are also  subject to  adjustment  in the event of a
stock  split of the  Common  Shares or a stock  dividend  on the  Common  Shares
payable in Common Shares or subdivisions,  consolidations or combinations of the
Common Shares occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.

                                        3
At any time after the  acquisition  by a person or group of  affiliated  or
associated  persons of  beneficial  ownership of 15% or more of the  outstanding
Voting Shares of the Company and before the  acquisition by a person or group of
50% or more of the  outstanding  Voting  Shares  of the  Company,  the  Board of
Directors may, at its option, issue Common Shares in mandatory redemption of, or
in exchange  for, all or part of the then  outstanding  and  exercisable  Rights
(other than Rights  owned by such  Acquiring  Person or group which would become
null and void) at an  exchange  ratio of one  Common  Share for each two  Common
Shares for which each Right is then exercisable, subject to adjustment.

     At any time  prior  to the  tenth  business  day  after  the  first  public
announcement  that a person or group has become the  beneficial  owner of 15% or
more of the outstanding Voting Shares, the Board of Directors of the Company may
redeem all, but not less than all, of the then outstanding  Rights at a price of
$.01 per Right (the  "Redemption  Price").  The  redemption of the Rights may be
made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board
of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.  Immediately  upon the action
of the  Board of  Directors  ordering  redemption  of the  Rights,  the right to
exercise the rights will  terminate  and the only right of the holders of Rights
will be to receive the Redemption Price.

     Until a Right is  exercised,  the  holder  thereof,  as such,  will have no
rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, the right
to vote or to receive dividends.

     The terms of the Rights may be  amended  by the Board of  Directors  of the
Company without the consent of the holders of the Rights, including an amendment
to change the Final Expiration Date, and,  provided a Distribution  Date has not
occurred,  to extend the period during which the Rights may be redeemed,  except
that after the Distribution  Date no such amendment may materially and adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the Rights.

     The form of Rights  Agreement  between the  Company  and the Rights  Agent,
specifying the terms of the Rights, including the form of Right Certificate, the
form of the Summary of Rights to Purchase  Common Shares and the specimen of the
legend to be placed on new Common  Share  certificates,  is  attached  hereto as
Exhibit 4 and is incorporated herein by reference.  The foregoing description of
the Rights does not purport to be complete  and is  qualified in its entirety by
reference to such Exhibit 4.

ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

    Exhibit 4       Form of Rights Agreement  between  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
                    Services Inc. and Harris Trust  Company,  including the form
                    of Rights Certif-

                                        4
icate as  Exhibit  A and the form of  Summary  of  Rights to
                    Purchase  Common Shares as Exhibit B. Pursuant to the Rights
                    Agreement,  printed Right Certificates will not be delivered
                    until as soon as practicable after the Distribution Date.

    Exhibit 20(a)   Press Release dated December 30, 1997.

    Exhibit 20(b)   Form of Letter to Stockholders of  Pharmaceutical  Marketing
                    Services  Inc.  regarding  the  adoption  of the Rights Plan
                    pursuant to the Rights Agreement.

                                        5
SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  Report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                           PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING SERVICES INC.

                           By: /s/ Dennis M.J. Turner
                              ------------------------- 
                              Dennis M.J. Turner
                              Chief Executive Officer

Date: December 31, 1997

                                        6
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit                                                Description
-------                                                -----------

4                                                      Rights Agreement

20(a)                                                  Press Release

20(b)                                                  Letter to Stockholders