The pharmaceutical industry is reaching a turning point in patient support.
New independent research among 100 pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and life sciences leaders reveals a growing consensus: today's patient support programs are no longer meeting modern patient expectations. In fact, 81% of industry leaders agree that patients increasingly expect consumer-grade experiences from pharmaceutical companies and their support programs.
At the same time, 52% of respondents believe traditional patient support vendors have been slow to innovate, while 68% say newer patient support companies are helping move the industry forward.
The message is clear: pharmaceutical leaders are looking for a new model.
The Patient Experience Gap
For years, patient support programs have focused on helping patients navigate access, affordability, and adherence challenges. While these programs remain critical, many organizations continue to rely on fragmented technology stacks, disconnected vendors, and point solutions that were never designed to work together.
The consequences are significant.
Nearly 70% of therapy abandonment occurs before month three. The largest drop-off points happen after a prescription is written but before first patient contact, between PSP enrollment and first fill, and from first fill to month three.
At the same time, pharma leaders believe significantly better outcomes are achievable.
In lower-complexity therapeutic areas and retail distribution models, most respondents reported reaching only 21–30% of eligible patients today. Yet the majority believe engagement rates of 50–60% are both aspirational and realistic. Similar opportunities exist in specialty and rare disease programs, where pharma leaders want to achieve engagement rates of 50% or higher.
The challenge is no longer identifying the opportunity. It's finding the right technology and engagement model to close the gap.
What Defines a Next-Generation Patient Experience?
According to survey respondents, next-generation patient support requires more than increasing outreach volume.
Pharma leaders identified several capabilities that are becoming essential:
- Two-way patient interactions
- Frictionless enrollment and consent
- Faster resolution of access and affordability barriers
- Personalized next-best-action guidance
- Consistent experiences across channels
- Seamless escalation to human support when needed
In other words, patients increasingly expect the same level of personalization, convenience, and responsiveness they experience in other aspects of their digital lives.
The organizations that can deliver those experiences will be best positioned to improve enrollment, accelerate time-to-therapy, and sustain adherence.
Why Leading Manufacturers Are Turning to Redi Health
The research findings closely mirror what Redi Health has been helping pharmaceutical manufacturers solve for years.
Today, 9 of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical manufacturers leverage Redi Health to modernize patient engagement, improve support program participation, and create more connected patient experiences.
Rather than asking patients to navigate multiple vendors, portals, and disconnected resources, Redi Health provides a single platform that helps patients access support services, affordability programs, medication education, and adherence resources throughout their treatment journey.
The results demonstrate the impact of this approach.
Brands that partner with Redi Health experience:
- 34% higher medication fills compared to patients not using the platform
- 33% additional enrollment into patient support programs
- Up to 10% reduction in first-fill abandonment
- 61% of patients sustaining therapy at six months
- Enrollment into support programs in two minutes or less
These outcomes directly address the priorities pharmaceutical leaders identified in the research, including improving adherence, accelerating time-to-therapy, increasing patient engagement, and reducing operational burden.
Beyond technology, manufacturers also value Redi Health's deep experience navigating the regulatory complexities of digital patient engagement. Redi's team has partnered with medical, legal, and regulatory review committees across more than 20 manufacturers to co-build compliant solutions — so brands can move from ideation to launch without additional lift. And the partnership doesn't end at launch: dedicated account management ensures the patient experience stays current, with timely messaging updates that reflect evolving brand priorities and patient needs throughout their therapy journey.
The Future of Patient Support Is Already Here
Patient expectations have changed.
Pharmaceutical leaders know they must deliver experiences that are faster, more personalized, more connected, and more measurable than traditional patient support models allow.
The organizations leading this transformation are not waiting for legacy approaches to catch up. They are investing in technologies that connect patients to support earlier, remove barriers faster, and keep them engaged throughout the therapy journey.
The research makes one thing clear: the future of patient support will be defined by patient experience.
Increasingly, that future is being built with Redi Health.
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This analysis draws on independent primary research conducted by Sage Growth Partners in Q1 2026 with 100 pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and life sciences leaders, all screened for familiarity with patient support programs and representing organizations with at least one commercial pharmaceutical product on the market.