Accessing healthcare can be complex, and this complexity is driven by a number of different factors. Patients and carers are finding it increasingly difficult to get face-to-face appointments with healthcare professionals, and if they then get a prescription, they may have to make an additional trip to a pharmacy at another location. The time this takes can be hard to manage for people who struggle to get time off work or who have multiple caring responsibilities. Travelling to hospitals, clinics and pharmacies adds another challenge, particularly for people with limited mobility, or who live in rural or impoverished areas where public transport and health infrastructure are poor.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers got used to accessing services online, from streamed entertainment to grocery shopping. Telemedicine, online platforms and remote monitoring have already made healthcare more accessible. In a 2022 survey carried out in the USA, 34% of respondents said that they preferred virtual care to accessing traditional venues. Globally, the healthcare e-commerce market was worth around $261 billion in 2021 and $310 billion in 2022, and is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.7% to $614 billion by 2026. [1-3]
While uptake of digitised healthcare clearly has grown, patients are demanding a smoother and more efficient experience, greater affordability and a better range of choices. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) and direct-to-patient (DTP) healthcare models provide services directly to patients without going through a third-party payer, for example an insurance company. As the next step in digitised healthcare, these models have the potential to change how patients receive healthcare and how it is delivered by pharmaceutical manufacturers. [2, 4]
The benefits and challenges for patients and providers
By streamlining the supply chain and dealing directly with consumers and patients, DTC and DTP models may cut the costs of healthcare for individuals, improve the quality and of the service and allow for a quicker and more agile response and better communication. DTP and DTC models can provide care more efficiently, increase the personalisation of care by providing integrated, real-time support, ensure the services are tailored to include only what the patient needs, and improve patients’ access to information, helping them to take ownership of their own care. [3-5]
The benefits are not just for the patients. These models allow providers to control the patient’s experience from beginning to end. The efficiency of DTC and DTP models can help healthcare providers to see more patients in a given period of time, potentially saving on staffing costs or increasing the turnover of patients. Being able to interact more closely with patients can improve relationships and communication, as well as increasing job satisfaction, which in turn may make recruitment easier and improve retention. [3-5]
The challenge of DTP and DTC models for providers is that it can be hard to reach patients as they have to proactively seek out services rather than being referred by a healthcare professional, and this can also mean that generating repeat customers may be difficult. [4]
Ensuring compliance with regulators
Whether it’s provided via a traditional route or through a DTP/DTC model, patients who are accessing healthcare need to know that their care will be safe and effective and that their data will be secure. Companies providing the healthcare must ensure that they meet the regulatory requirements, which can be challenging if the service provided is new or innovative. [3, 4]
DTC and DTP modes: Case studies
In January 2024, Eli Lilly announced the launch of LillyDirect, digital disease management resources for patients in the US living with obesity, migraine and diabetes. LillyDirect includes access to independent telehealth providers, tailored disease state and healthcare educational information, and direct home delivery of select Lilly medicines through LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions, a digital pharmacy provided by third-party pharmacy fulfilment services. [6]
OnyxMP, based in Austin, Texas, provides access to compounded formulations using an e-commerce platform (Rugiet Health) and a...
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