The trend: Patients are willing to receive support services from drug companies—but most aren’t getting enough assistance from pharma, according to a recent survey of consumers and physicians from the DHC Group released during a March 2025 company event.

Catch up quick: Per DHC Group's report, pharma brands going direct-to-patient need to give consumers tools that make it easier for them to access care and treatment.

• Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk have recently launched D2C models that involve partnerships with telehealth companies, direct sales of some pharma products, and online medication delivery.
• These initiatives are an expansion of more traditional direct-to-patient models, in which pharma websites have “talk to a doctor” links and other patient-focused resources, such as helping people save money on medications.

Digging into the data: Just 16% of DHC Group’s survey respondents view the pharma industry as “patient-centric.”

• 81% think pharma companies should provide resources to help patients manage their care.
• 90% have questions about their medications. Pharma could meet this need with live chat functionality to provide answers—something 44% of respondents say they want.
• Pharma tools that connect patients with telehealth visits would also be well received by consumers: 38% of respondents use virtual visits to obtain new prescriptions, while 36% use them for refills.

Doctors also see the value in pharma companies offering direct-to-patient services, per DHC Group’s study.

• 77% of healthcare providers would recommend direct-to-patient portals to consumers seeking medication information.

Why it matters: Pharma brands that implement effective direct-to-patient initiatives see a positive impact on their business, according to Aaron Uydess, EVP at Eversana and a presenter at the conference.

• Well-designed direct-to-patient models typically deliver 4:1 to 6:1 ROI after three years, according to Uydess.
• These programs can also capture between 15%-25% of total script volume. This isn’t surprising, considering D2C pharmacy services side-step common barriers to medication access, such as long wait times to see a doctor, inadequate pharmacy access, and lack of transparency around medication costs.

The final word: Pharma companies might view “script lift” as a key metric to measure progress of their D2C models. But drugmakers must also ensure that they’re using this opportunity to adapt a retail-like mindset since they’re marketing and selling directly to consumers. Understanding patients’ unique needs and prioritizing a better customer experience relative to what typically takes place in healthcare will be factors that drive success.

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