How direct-to-patient prescribing is shifting the status quo in support services

When pharmaceutical companies first introduced patient support services two decades ago, they were a rational response to an irrational system. Patients needed help navigating rebate-driven formularies, switching practices, and overcoming administrative roadblocks. In short, they needed support navigating a pharmaceutical supply chain that seemed to be designed for everyone but them.

These services were well intended. But industry data suggests they have only helped a small proportion – around 5% – of new-to-brand patients. At the same time, powerful forces are reshaping the expectations and economics around brand support services. The status quo is no longer tenable. To remain competitive, biopharma must move beyond disjointed support services and take direct responsibility for the patient journey.

Responding to a shifting market

There are two main factors that are reshaping brand support services. The first is policy-based. Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) pricing is putting increasing pressure on manufacturers to prove the value of every dollar spent. The second is consumer-based. Patients today expect the same streamlined, e-Commerce-style simplicity when ordering medications that they are used to in any other modern retail experience.

Biopharma leaders need to not only expand brand support services, but redesign them. They need to ensure they are delivering consumer-grade experiences that optimise profitability, while still protecting provider autonomy and honouring patient choice.

Traditional hubs, which are often structured around phone trees and manual processes, are too slow and rigid for this transformation. What is needed instead is a model that unifies the entire prescription journey from provider to patient. A model that takes the best of traditional and digital hubs to combine access, fulfilment, and patient services into one frictionless experience.

Direct-to-patient: A new frontier

Direct-to-Patient (DTP) platforms represent a new frontier in patient support services. Properly executed, they help more patients get on therapy faster, stay on therapy longer, and deliver better outcomes for brands and providers alike.

DTP allows manufacturers to deliver consistent onboarding and fulfilment, to route prescriptions down the most profitable path automatically and deliver personalised adherence support – all within a framework that prioritises transparency and compliance. Most importantly, DTP offers real-time visibility across the prescription lifecycle. This means manufacturer resources can be aligned with patient outcomes, rather than intermediary margins.

Think of DTP as an auditable patient-first layer that standardises the experience, allowing patients to see the price before they commit, choose how they get their medication, check status in real-time, and talk to a real human when support is needed. This combination of tech-plus-touch can turn brand intent into durable trust and demand. DTP runs on an API-driven foundation, anchored to a patient-consented longitudinal record. This means manufacturers can measure what matters – from promise-date accuracy to refill ease and patient and prescriber satisfaction.

The benefits of DTP

DTP offers system-wide benefits for everyone, from patients and providers to manufacturers and payers.

For patients, DTP offers transparency and choice. Patients are automatically routed to the most affordable path, with cash pay or insurance copay assistance as needed, offered a choice of fulfilment options, and given the ability to track their order progress. Human support is available if they hit a snag and adherence is supported through AI-enabled reminders, pharmacist outreach, and proactive refill scheduling. This results in decreased anxiety, increased fills, and improved retention.

For providers, DTP allows them to maintain full clinical independence while removing the burden of unnecessary administrative work and logistical ping pong. When patients are fully informed and supported, callbacks decrease. The ability to confirm both insurance eligibility and patient out-of-pocket cost in real time eliminates the provider's burden of waiting on incomplete data or payer denials.

For manufacturers, DTP allows them to finally align resources with measurable outcomes instead of intermediary margins. Automated prescription validation at intake leads to faster prior authorisation (PA) cycles, fewer rejections, and smoother onboarding. Dynamic routing that balances affordability and margin sees better adherence and improved financial performance – without compromising patient experience. Real-time visibility and localised insights allow brand teams to proactively address barriers, optimise outreach, and make faster, better data-driven decisions to improve brand performance.

Finally, for payers and policy stakeholders, DTP allows them to see greater transparency and less waste – crucial in an MFN era. Automated prescription validation at intake prevents incomplete or incorrect submissions from reaching payers, eliminating common points of friction that delay time to therapy. Clear disclosures, auditable routing, and standardised experiences reduce rework, not only helping to demonstrate value, but also clearly demonstrating that there is no steering.

Transforming the prescription journey

For too long the prescription journey has shifted complexity and cost onto those least equipped to bear it. Manufacturers have a clear mandate to transform this journey, and DTP offers the means to do it. The prize is significant – expanded patient access, reduced abandonment, improved refill rates and retention, richer real-world data, and a patient experience that builds, rather than erodes, trust.

The future isn’t waiting. Brands that embrace DTP now will own the next era of access, adherence, and trust.

About the author

Chip Parkinson is CEO of Gifthealth, a pioneering digital pharmacy platform focused on accelerating patient access and innovation in pharmaceutical services. He leads the company's strategic vision to transform the complex and fragmented patient journey, ensuring consumers receive clear, convenient, and affordable access to their prescribed medicines. 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. 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.