From access to advocacy: Turning patients into brand champions

Too many patient access strategies stop at “script filled”. But this approach is ultimately short-sighted, failing to build long-term brand loyalty, or adherence. Direct-to-patient (DTP) programmes give brands the tools to connect with patients effectively and sustainably – from transparent pricing and personalised outreach to support that genuinely helps patients start treatment faster and stay on treatment for longer.

Done right, DTP is not just filling scripts. It is building loyalty that turns satisfied patients into lifelong advocates. Access is the start; advocacy is the payoff.

Fragmentation and frustration

Legacy patient support services were a logical response to a system that all too often shifted the cost and complexity of the pharmaceutical supply chain onto those least equipped to cope with it. But the reality is, two decades later, they have only helped a tiny proportion of new-to-brand patients navigate a system never designed for them.

More than half of US patients still experience challenges when filling prescriptions, one in four abandon prescriptions because they are too expensive and just two in 10 feel empowered to manage their medication.¹

Vendor-fragmented hubs have resulted in handoffs and manual processes, which delay access, resulting in higher costs and leaving patients and providers shouldering extra burdens. Even once a script is eventually fulfilled, disparate uncoordinated outreach leads to adherence rate decline, a drop in refill success rates, and lower prescriber confidence as patient outcomes suffer.

The current prescription journey does not just need changing. It needs transforming.

DTP: A patient-first layer

DTP programmes unify the prescription journey from provider to patient, combining access, fulfilment, and patient services into one frictionless, branded experience. They provide a consistent, auditable experience that not only expands patient access, but also improves patient satisfaction, refill rates, and days on therapy. DTP also provides manufacturers with real-time visibility and measurable outcomes – finally allowing them to align resources with patient outcomes, not intermediaries’ margins.

DTP is not simply a bolt-on for traditional pharmacy hubs. It is a patient-first layer that speeds up access, provides tailored support, and increases brand loyalty from day one.

Step 1: Expanded patient access

Patients today expect the same speed, transparency, and level of choice in their pharmacy care as they receive in other digital retail experiences. However, the reality is that too many patients are facing delays, confusion, and worry when trying to access life-changing treatments.

Nearly half of patients are unsure who to trust for accurate prescription medication and pricing information.¹At the same time, delays caused by prior authorisation (PA) lead to measurable patient harm, including worsening conditions, preventable hospital stays, and lower rates of disease-free survival.²

Every prescription transaction is fundamentally a test of belief. Patients want to know that a brand will make it easy and affordable for them to access their medication. DTP programmes facilitate this by providing clear, trusted information on cost, channel, and status. Automatically implemented billing efficiencies make medication more accessible and affordable. At the same time, eCommerce-style checkout removes friction, making it more likely that patients will complete checkout on the first try. This reduces abandonment and improves brand conversion and satisfaction from day one.

By validating prescriptions upfront, DTP also prevents incomplete or incorrect submissions from reaching payers, eliminating common points of friction that delay time to therapy. For brands, this means faster PA cycles, fewer rejections, and smoother onboarding. This drives measurable improvements in patient access and outcomes, which in turn boosts prescriber and patient confidence.

In short, DTP offers a smarter way for patients to access their medication.

Step 2: Personalised support

While script fill is obviously vital, we need to stop seeing it as the endgame of patient access strategies. Once patients start treatment, we also need to support them to stay on treatment effectively. Personalised patient education and support services are vital – around four in 10 adults report low self-confidence when managing their medication.³

Effective support relies on a combination of tech-plus-human-touch. Automated SMS messages and AI voice calls can engage patients monthly, or at identified points where there is a higher risk of drop-off. Live pharmacist support can then provide additional help to those who might otherwise stop taking medications correctly or altogether.

By bridging the gaps between refills and routines, brands can improve adherence, reduce discontinuations, and drive measurable gains in long-term persistence. For patients, the result is reduced anxiety, increased refill rates and, again, improved brand satisfaction.

Step 3: Brand advocacy

The effects of the increased trust and brand satisfaction outlined in steps one and two are cumulative. As patient satisfaction and understanding increase, so too does the likelihood of turning consumers into lifelong brand advocates.

This satisfaction can be further enhanced with real-time reporting and predictive insights. DTP offers unified reporting on patient journeys, payer dynamics, prescriber behaviour, and access risk. This allows brand teams to proactively address access barriers, further optimise outreach, and make faster, data-driven decisions that not only improve adherence, but help transform patients into true brand advocates.

By combining technology and data with human support, we can move from disempowered patients trying to navigate through a broken system to empowered brand advocates who are better able to manage their health.

Every unfilled prescription is a patient missing out on therapy. Every skipped refill or dropped prescription risks worsening health outcomes and undermining trust.

We need to stop thinking of access strategies as complete at “script filled”. Instead, we need to build strategies that empower patients to become lifelong brand advocates.

By doing so, we can improve health outcomes, increase prescriber trust, and build lifelong brand loyalty. For brands looking to implement successful strategies, DTP means increased ROI and improved commercial and patient access success.

References

About the author

Chip Parkinson is the CEO of Gifthealth, a digital pharmacy platform focused on accelerating patient access and innovation in pharmaceutical services. Prior to Gifthealth, Parkinson served as president of OmedaRx and chief pharmacy officer for the Regence BlueCross BlueShield health plans, where he managed $1.7 billion in annual pharmacy spend for the Northwest United States. In this role, he led efforts to innovate the consumer pharmacy benefit experience. Before joining Regence, Parkinson was VP of managed markets and general manager of urology at Myriad Genetics. Parkinson began his healthcare career with Pfizer Inc. in 1996. Over his 15 years with the company, he held various leadership roles in sales, communication, managed markets, and general management.