Just a few months after confirming that it was in the process of developing an online service to cut out middlemen and work directly with patients to help them access vaccines, diagnostic tests and medications, Pfizer has made good on its word.
The newly launched PfizerForAll platform is designed to connect patients in the U.S. with a range of healthcare services, serving as a one-stop shop where they can make doctor’s appointments, find vaccines and order tests and treatments.
To start, according to Pfizer’s launch announcement Tuesday, the platform’s services will focus on providing access to treatments for common conditions like migraine, COVID-19 and the flu as well as vaccines for COVID, flu, respiratory syncytial virus and pneumococcal pneumonia.
Those services are powered by partnerships with other direct-to-consumer providers in healthcare and beyond: Users can make virtual and in-person appointments with nearby healthcare providers via telemedicine giant UpScriptHealth, order prescription medications for pickup or delivery via the digitally powered Alto Pharmacy and purchase over-the-counter tests and treatments for COVID, flu and more via grocery delivery service Instacart.
Meanwhile, adult users can also use PfizerForAll to check whether they’re eligible for certain vaccines and, if so, make an appointment at a nearby pharmacy to get the selected shots.
Though the platform prominently features information about Pfizer’s own treatments—including Nurtec for migraine and Paxlovid for COVID—its offerings aren’t limited to just the Big Pharma’s products. The VaxAssist service’s COVID vaccine finder, for example, allows users to select either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna jab, while a PfizerForAll-sponsored Instacart page lists at-home COVID test options from the likes of Abbott and QuidelOrtho alongside Pfizer’s own Lucira kit.
Pfizer said in the release that the DTC service will work within the current U.S. healthcare system, allowing patients to use their existing insurance and pharmacy benefits. Additionally, the platform will provide live customer support and other resources to help guide users through the insurance coverage process and, if any of Pfizer’s own medications are prescribed, will match eligible consumers with the company’s relevant affordability programs and support services.
“People often experience information overload and encounter roadblocks when making decisions for themselves or their family in our complex and often overwhelming U.S. healthcare system. This can be extremely time-consuming and lead to indecision or inaction—and as a result, poor health outcomes,” Aamir Malik, Pfizer’s chief U.S. commercial officer, said in the announcement. “We are pleased to offer PfizerForAll to help relieve this burden on people, especially as we enter the fall season in the U.S., and streamline the path for those seeking better health.”
In unveiling PfizerForAll, the drugmaker suggested that the new DTC platform will help fill a broad gap in the U.S. healthcare system, where polls have shown that a majority of Americans find the current system overwhelming and are looking for more digital options to manage their care.
Pfizer isn’t the first pharma to turn to a DTC model to close that gap. At the start of this year, Eli Lilly launched LillyDirect. Like PfizerForAll, LillyDirect connects patients with a range of telehealth providers and pharmacies for virtual care, but with a narrower scope: For now, Lilly’s version is specifically focused on providing access only to the company’s own treatments for diabetes, migraine and obesity.
Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that Alto Pharmacy is "digitally powered," rather than "all-digital."