Pharma’s direct-to-patient era: Building beyond table stakes

“Direct-to-patient” (DTP) has taken center stage in 2025 across digital health conferences, investor discussions, and strategic roadmaps. Under the banner of DTP, pharmaceutical companies are building out digital pathways that connect patients directly to care—from navigation and prescribing, to payment, home delivery, and longitudinal support. These initiatives are expanding the manufacturer’s role in how care is coordinated. What once looked like a smattering of limited experiments is now taking shape as a structural shift in pharma’s go-to-market approach.

Over the past two years, a steady wave of DTP launches has reshaped pharma’s digital landscape. Eli Lilly’s LillyDirect came first in early 2024, followed by Pfizer’s PfizerForAll in the fall of 2024, and Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare earlier this year. More recently, AstraZeneca (AstraZeneca Direct in September 2025), Boehringer Ingelheim (Access in September 2025), Amgen (AmgenNow in October 2025), and Novartis (September 2025)¹ have joined the roster, announcing their own (targeted) DTP launches.

For pharma leaders, the opportunity extends beyond building another digital front door. Done right, DTP models can not only expand care access and strengthen treatment continuity for patients, but can also create brand lift, improve margin, and generate novel insights from patient interactions. Done poorly, they risk adding noise to an already fragmented system. This piece examines the strategic questions now facing the 94% of pharma companies exploring DTP models as part of their commercial strategies.

Finding where DTP fits

Early DTP programs launched in high-prevalence therapeutic areas—conditions like obesity or diabetes, where motivated patients encounter persistent access barriers. But results show that success depends less on where manufacturers start and more on how programs are designed.

As offerings mature, a spectrum is emerging. Full-service platforms such as LillyDirect and PfizerForAll integrate prescribing, payment, and care navigation, while targeted programs such as AstraZeneca Direct focus on affordability and access. Each reflects a distinct logic shaped by therapeutic area, access, and regulatory context—variation likely to deepen as programs iterate.

In short, the next wave of DTP innovation will hinge less on where manufacturers launch, and more on how they execute.

Designing for patients

The first component to successful DTP execution is design. DTP programs should reflect both the major “jobs-to-be-done” and the experiential journey that shapes how patients engage in care and with treatments.

To launch high-impact DTP programs, manufacturers should begin with a clear problem statement: what “jobs-to-be-done” is the program addressing, and for whom? Defining those “jobs”—whether supporting treatment initiation, sustaining adherence, or resolving coverage barriers—is the foundation for everything that follows. From there, the goal is to map each “job” to the right mix of services and solutions. Improving access for motivated, self-managing patients might mean offering educational materials and care navigation. Addressing coverage limitations or supply chain gaps might call for financial support or direct fulfillment. Connecting each job-to-be-done to the right building blocks keeps DTP programs focused and effective.

“Patient enthusiasm, not just satisfaction, is critical for the long-term success of a DTP program. Our job is to ‘wow’ patients by creating the safest, most effective channel for the delivery of care.”
— Peter Ax, CEO, UpScriptHealth

Function alone doesn’t sustain engagement. Experience design determines whether patients will continue using a platform. Strong DTP programs anticipate the emotions that shape engagement—nervousness when seeking a diagnosis, hope after seeing treatment response—and design experiences that build confidence and continuity. When worries about cost create hesitation, transparent pricing helps patients feel in control. When uncertainty about treatment causes doubt, clear guidance—through AI-enabled chatbots or asynchronous pharmacist support—can restore confidence. And when the process feels like a chore, small touches such as refill reminders or a simple checkout keep it feeling manageable. Choices that emphasize clarity and reassurance complement functional design by reducing the subtle frictions that influence long-term engagement.

Effective programs blend function and patient experience, treating each design choice as a hypothesis to test what will ultimately support a patient as they navigate an array of experiences and choices.

Figuring out what’s working (and what’s not)

Strategy sets direction, but design fit is discovered through real-world use. Even the most detailed DTP roadmap can only approximate patient behavior, so iteration becomes the main driver of progress.

Early DTP platforms have already evolved meaningfully since their launches, increasing coverage across their respective portfolios, expanding services offered, and adjusting partnerships. PfizerForAll, for instance, debuted in 2024 with offerings for vaccines, infectious diseases, and migraine—fast forward to today, the platform has expanded therapeutic area coverage to also include cardiovascular, oncology, and menopause, with additional capabilities via Health Answers by Pfizer for educational content and partnerships with Zocdoc for care navigation and Wheel for virtual care and prescribing. At the same time, several platforms have walked back or reimagined early partnerships. Take Novo Nordisk, which ended its partnership with Hims & Hers (rumored to be reinvigorating), or Eli Lilly, which added obesity care delivery partners to create optionality for patients and incorporated Amazon Pharmacy alongside initial partner Truepill (now Fuze Health) to scale fulfillment capacity. The iteration of platforms signals an expected part of the learning cycle rather than a retreat from the front lines. Across the market, DTP pilots are shorter and more deliberate, with teams analyzing engagement and operational data before extending into new therapeutic areas or adding services.

Iteration across design and partnership decisions is now a common denominator. Manufacturers that embed short learning cycles and clear measurement frameworks are building a new organizational capability: learning in real time what drives patient engagement and economic return.

Measuring what matters

Most pharmaceutical manufacturers still gauge success through traditional commercial metrics—conversion rates, prescriptions filled, and incremental sales. While these data points remain critical, they provide limited visibility into patient experience or sustained platform use.

“LillyDirect aims to address the fragmentation and friction patients face across their healthcare journey. Our goal isn’t only to improve access to Lilly therapies, but to help patients connect with independent care providers and trusted information.” — Jennifer Mazur, Senior Vice President and General Manager, U.S. LillyDirect and Consumer Hub, Eli Lilly

Pharma teams are beginning to expand their scorecards to include consumer-centric metrics that better capture patient trust and usability. These consumer-tech style metrics could include click-through rates, short-term and long-term user engagement, user satisfaction and NPS scoring, and retention and engagement metrics (e.g., DAU/WAU/MAU, churn, CSAT).

Better measurement enables faster decisions and more responsive iteration in a field that often moves slowly. Teams that learn quickly from data will shape how DTP programs evolve.

Seeing around the curve

Direct-to-patient models are quickly moving from pilot to playbook. In the coming year, most major manufacturers are expected to launch or expand their offerings. The differentiator will no longer be if a company participates—but how its approach fits therapeutic contexts and patient needs. The companies that approach DTP with intention—deciding where to pursue and how to execute—will set the next standard for commercialization and engagement.

Wondering how to position your organization to win in pharma’s new DTP era—and looking for support on your strategy? Check out Rock Health Advisory’s recent Direct-to-Patient Webinar, featuring insights from leaders at UpScriptHealth and Savvy Cooperative. And reach out to Rock Health Advisory to discuss how we can help.

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Footnotes

1. DTP platform name not specified.