DTP: Pharma’s Next Power Move – Part 1 of 3

First in a three-part series By Chip Parkinson, CEO, Gifthealth.

Two decades ago, manufacturers launched patient support services to counter a distorted pharmaceutical supply chain – one designed for intermediaries, not patients, that shifts complexity and cost onto those least equipped to bear it. These services provided a rational response to an irrational system, helping a narrow slice of new-to-brand patients navigate rebate-driven formularies, switching practices, and administrative roadblocks.

But the market is no longer static. Two powerful forces are reshaping expectations and economics. The first is policy-driven: most-favored nation (MFN) pricing intensifies pressure on manufacturers to prove that every dollar spent delivers value, not waste. The second is consumer-driven: patients accustomed to seamless digital experiences in every other sector now demand speed, transparency, and choice in their pharmacy care. The combination makes the status quo untenable.

For biopharma leaders, the question is not whether to expand brand support services, but how to redesign them for scale, efficiency, and trust. Traditional pharmacy hubs, often built around complex workflows and phone-based service models, were designed for a different era. While they’ve played a vital role in helping patients navigate an imperfect system, many now face structural limitations that make it difficult to meet today’s expectations for speed, transparency, and coordination. What’s required instead is more direct ownership of the prescription journey: the best of digital and legacy hub models that preserve provider autonomy, safeguard patient choice, and remove friction from start to finish.

Direct-to-patient (DTP) programming represents the next frontier. Properly executed, these platforms allow manufacturers to deliver consistent onboarding, financial navigation, fulfillment, and adherence – all within a framework that prioritizes transparency and compliance. More importantly, they align manufacturer resources with patient outcomes, rather than intermediaries’ margins.

The prize is significant: higher dispense rates, stronger adherence, richer real-world data, and a patient experience that builds – not erodes – brand trust. In a system tilted away from patients for far too long, manufacturers now have both the mandate and the means to lead.

The imperative is clear. To remain competitive in an MFN era and meet consumer expectations, biopharma must move beyond fragmented support services and take direct responsibility for the patient journey. The future of access, adherence, and trust will belong to those who do.