Why pharmacy-based engagement is pharma’s untapped adherence strategy
Every year, pharmaceutical companies allocate a median of $21 million per drug to promotional efforts. Industry-wide spend on prescription drug marketing ballooned to over $10 billion in 2024, up from just $6 billion in 2016.
If recent patterns are any indication, however, this increased investment isn’t actually helping patients follow through on treatment plans.
More than a quarter of prescriptions in the US go unfilled – rising to over half of new prescriptions for novel medicines. This contributes to stubbornly high medication non-adherence rates that cost the US healthcare system as much as $300 billion annually. Vaccination trends tell a similar story: as little as 35% of adults received their flu shot last year, and even fewer received their COVID-19 vaccine, according to reports by the CDC.
Direct-to-consumer marketing strategies may increase visibility, but awareness alone isn’t enough. Medication and vaccine adherence also hinges on the guidance patients receive at the point of care, such as at the pharmacy counter.
For pharmaceutical marketers, the pharmacy relationship is as powerful as it is underutilised. Rather than focusing outreach so exclusively on broad, upstream channels, companies can work alongside pharmacists to deliver personalised outreach that informs patient treatment decisions and drives adherence.
The pharma-pharmacist engagement opportunity
The point-of-care marketing industry surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2024, increasing 16% year-over-year. This financial growth makes clear that pharmaceutical companies can no longer ignore the opportunity to reach patients in trusted care settings.
Pharmacies remain reliable and highly accessible healthcare touchpoints, with patients visiting their local community pharmacy almost twice as often as their primary care provider. What’s more, the positive impact of pharmacists is well documented: pharmacist-led interventions have been shown to improve medication adherence for patients with chronic diseases and reduce non-adherence for medically underserved patients.
When companies overlook the pharmacy channel as part of their marketing strategy, they miss a critical opportunity to influence adherence rates. Independent pharmacies, in particular, will only gain greater importance as chain pharmacy locations continue to shutter. With 15 million US patients relying solely on independent pharmacies, these providers are healthcare lifelines, especially for older adults, rural residents, and patients in low-income households.
Even the best designed campaign won’t inspire action without reaching patients, and pharmacists, at key moments that drive care decisions.
Activating the pharmacy as a driver of patient adherence
To leverage the pharmacy as a patient activation partner, pharmaceutical companies must ensure pharmacists have the right resources to impact treatment and improve adherence:
1.
Support pharmacists with real-time care guidance
Pharmacists manage a constant stream of responsibilities, from dispensing medication to navigating payer issues and counselling patients. These competing pressures can make it difficult to consistently identify when patients require support, leaving adherence opportunities unrealised.
Pharmaceutical companies can help by ensuring pharmacists receive timely, actionable alerts within their existing workflow. For example, if a pharmacist receives a prompt at the point of sale that the person they’re assisting is eligible for a vaccine or missed a prescription refill, they can initiate a conversation while the individual is still at the counter.
This type of contextual, in-workflow guidance has been shown to help recover 30.8% of patients who previously lapsed in therapy and increase vaccination activity by 35%. Equally important, it reduces pharmacists’ mental workload, allowing them to focus on high-impact clinical discussions that reinforce patient trust, confidence, and action.
2.
Reinforce patient education with integrated technology
Alongside pharmacist-facing tools, timely patient communications are vital to keeping treatment plans on track.
In collaboration with pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies can send patients medication reminders or seasonal vaccine recommendations via text and email. Or they can use these channels to tailor prescription education outreach to specific demographics, such as older adults managing chronic illnesses.
In tandem, consistent pharmacist and patient education creates a feedback loop for proactive adherence support. Going forward, we’ll likely see AI capabilities added to optimise patient outreach decisions, helping pharmacies focus their resources for maximum impact and improved patient outcomes.
3.
Expand affordability and access programmes
Of the estimated 50% of patients who may not be taking their medication as prescribed, affordability is often a top barrier. Cost-related non-adherence contributes to poorer health outcomes and unnecessary hospitalisations, as individuals reduce doses and delay refills to manage treatment costs.
Since low-income households are more likely to rely on independent pharmacies, it’s especially critical to reduce cost barriers in these settings. By supporting in-pharmacy affordability solutions, such as automated vouchers that apply discounts in real time, pharmaceutical companies can help patients secure their prescribed medications directly at checkout with less financial stress.
In practice, these initiatives can determine whether a person stops or continues their therapy. Pharmaceutical companies will see higher fill rates when patients don’t have to choose between their health and other essential expenses.
Improving adherence starts at the pharmacy
Pharmaceutical companies already invest heavily in patient marketing efforts, but broad campaign outreach doesn’t guarantee adherence improvements. A more targeted approach in America is necessary – one that brings treatment guidance closer to patients.
This moment is especially critical as AI contributes to faster development of new therapies and treatments. With a growing volume of healthcare options set to hit the market, pharmaceutical companies must prepare to help patients navigate even more complex care decisions and plans in the future.
The strategic partnerships made with independent pharmacies now offer a meaningful opportunity to influence patient decisions through affordability support and targeted, real-time education efforts. In doing so, pharmaceutical companies can strengthen their customer relationships and fulfil their mission: helping individuals stay on track with critical treatment plans that sustain their long-term health.
About the author
Andrew Maurer is chief executive officer of RedSail Technologies. He is a seasoned leader who has spearheaded the development and growth of companies in the healthcare and technology sectors. Prior to RedSail, he was co-founder and CEO of Trellis Rx, now part of CPS Solutions, a company focused on working with health systems to establish, grow, and optimise integrated specialty pharmacy service lines within the health system. There, Maurer played an integral role in leading the company's operations, and forging partnerships with 18 health systems nationwide, covering over 60 hospitals and 420 clinics. Prior to that, Maurer co-founded Macro Helix, an SaaS software business, where he served as CEO from 2009 to 2012, later transitioning to VP & general manager after the company's acquisition by McKesson. Before co-founding Trellis Rx and Macro Helix, Maurer held positions at The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Navigant Consulting, and Ernst & Young (EY). Maurer holds an MBA and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Finance from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. His leadership has been recognised through a variety of awards and accolades, including Private Equity International's Operational Excellence Awards, The Inc. 5000, Managed Markets Insight & Technology's Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Award, and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy's Strategic Channel Partner of the Year.
