• by Les Luchter , September 28, 2025

“Disconnected and fragmented” healthcare experiences -- such as prior authorization requirements and product accessibility issues -- are reducing the effectiveness of consumer ad spend, according to 82% of pharma leaders surveyed by the Digital Health Coalition (DHC) for cloud-based health tech provider ixLayer.

This points to an “urgent need for marketing strategies that move beyond awareness to action,” the company says. And that should take the form of direct-to-patient (DTP) programs, defined as services like telehealth consultations, at-home diagnostic testing, digital pharmacy fulfillment and online care navigation.

The study, conducted during August and September, found that 94% of respondents’ companies are currently running, planning to launch, or exploring a DTP program. In all, half of respondents said DTP will be standard practice within five years.

While the results are based on completed surveys from just 20 pharma execs, they were culled from DHC’s “network of pharmaceutical decision makers,” ixLayer tells Marketing Daily.  That network, per DHC’s website, includes 28 top pharma firms. 

Among other results, 45% of respondents cited compliance and legal concerns as the biggest barriers to adopting DTP programs, with 44% saying the “current political climate and healthcare policy discussions” make DTP riskier by increasing scrutiny. However, 39% said the political climate and discussions “encourage innovation to improve access.”

In defining DTP success, the study found that top potential outcome would be accelerating patients’ “time to treatment.”

“The companies that adapt their playbooks now will be the ones shaping the patient experience, building loyalty, and accelerating time to treatment,” said Debra Harris, head of marketing, ixlayer, in a statement.

The company says the latest research aligns with previous research it conducted over the past 15 months, in which both patients and doctors also supported the adoption of DTP programs. The patient study was conducted with Ipsos and the doctor study with DHC and Sermo.

Separately this week, AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) both announced new DTP pharmacy programs.

Launching Oct. 1, AstraZeneca Direct will offer the nasal spray flu vaccine Flumist, asthma med Airsupra and diabetes/kidney disease treatment Farxiga directly to consumers, the latter two at discounted prices.

BMS Patient Connect will launch in January, with discounted prices for blood thinner Eliquis and plaque psoriasis drug Sotyktu.

AstrZeneca Direct and BMS Patient Connect join such other DTP pharmacy programs as LillyDirect,  PfizerForAll  and Novo Nordisk's NovoCare in the DTP space.