Direct-to-patient (DTP) models are quickly reshaping how prescriptions move from the doctor's office to the patient's hands. In this episode of The Top Line, host Kelly Hogan sits down with Jeremy Richardson, chief commercial officer at Gifthealth, to unpack why the traditional specialty pharmacy model often creates barriers, and how DTP is designed to remove them. Drawing on more than a decade in specialty pharmacy, Richardson outlines how fragmented handoffs, delays, and lack of transparency leave patients and providers navigating unnecessary complexity.
Richardson dismantles common misconceptions that DTP only works for cash-pay products or narrow therapeutic categories. Instead, he explains how a seamless, technology-enabled platform can support retail, specialty-light and specialty medications across price points while improving time to first fill, reducing abandonment and supporting long-term adherence. The key, he notes, is creating ease and transparency at every step of the prescription journey.
With more than 7 million patients guided through Gifthealth's platform, Richardson shares what scale has revealed about rising patient expectations - and why immediacy, clear communication, and the right balance of technology and human support will define the next era of pharma commercialization. For commercial leaders evaluating DTP, the message is clear: The question is no longer if, but how.
The editorial staff had no role in this post's creation.