Direct-to-patient: pharma’s next power move
First in a three-part series. Next up: what is DTP and who benefits from it?
Two decades ago, manufacturers launched patient support services to counter a distorted pharmaceutical supply chain - one designed for intermediaries, not patients, that shifts complexity and cost onto those least equipped to bear it. These services provided a rational response to an irrational system, helping a narrow slice of new-to-brand patients navigate rebate-driven formularies, switching practices, and administrative roadblocks.
But the market is no longer static. Two powerful forces are reshaping expectations and economics. The first is policy-driven: most-favored nation (MFN) pricing intensifies pressure on manufacturers to prove that every dollar spent delivers value, not waste. The second is consumer-driven: patients accustomed to seamless digital experiences in every other sector now demand speed, transparency, and choice in their pharmacy care. The combination makes the status quo untenable.
For biopharma leaders, the question is not whether to expand brand support services, but how to redesign them for scale, efficiency, and trust. Traditional pharmacy hubs, often built around complex workflows and phone-based service models, were designed for a different era. While they’ve played a vital role in helping patients navigate an imperfect system, many now face structural limitations that make it difficult to meet today’s expectations for speed, transparency, and coordination. What’s required instead is more direct ownership of the prescription journey: the best of
Direct-to-patient (DTP) programming represents the next frontier. Properly executed, these platforms allow manufacturers to deliver consistent onboarding, financial navigation, fulfillment, and adherence - all within a framework that prioritizes transparency and compliance. More importantly, they align manufacturer resources with patient outcomes, rather than intermediaries’ margins.
The prize is significant: higher dispense rates, stronger adherence, richer real-world data, and a
The imperative is clear. To remain competitive in an MFN era and meet consumer expectations, biopharma must move beyond fragmented support services and take direct responsibility for the patient journey. The future of access, adherence, and trust will belong to those who do.
About Chip Parkinson
Chip Parkinson is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gifthealth, a pioneering digital pharmacy platform focused on accelerating patient access and innovation in pharmaceutical services. Chip leads the company's strategic vision to transform the complex and fragmented patient journey, ensuring consumers receive clear, convenient, and affordable access to their prescribed medicines.
Prior to Gifthealth, Chip served as President of OmedaRx and Chief Pharmacy Officer for the Regence BlueCross BlueShield health plans, where he managed $1.7 billion in annual pharmacy spend for the Northwest United States. In this role, he led efforts to innovate the consumer pharmacy benefit experience.
Before joining Regence, Chip was Vice President, Managed Markets, and General Manager, Urology, at Myriad Genetics. During his tenure, he was instrumental in securing over 75 contracts with national and regional insurance carriers for the company’s diagnostic products. He also successfully led the initiative for Medicare reimbursement of Prolaris®, a prostate cancer prognostic assay, which subsequently was included in the NCCN Guidelines® for Prostate Cancer and saw more than 250% growth in year-over-year order volume.
Chip began his healthcare career with Pfizer Inc. in 1996. Over his 15 years with the company, he held various leadership roles in sales, communication, managed markets, and general management. He concluded his tenure as a Regional Business Director, where he was responsible for the profit and loss of a $275 million primary care portfolio in Massachusetts and the Southwest U.S.
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About Gifthealth
Gifthealth is a patient access solution that unifies the prescription journey from provider to patient—combining access, fulfillment, and patient services into one frictionless, branded experience. Our Digi+Hub model merges digital pharmacy speed with flexible hub services, helping more patients get on therapy faster, stay on therapy longer, and deliver better outcomes for brands and providers alike. Gifthealth operates dispensing pharmacies and a nationwide partner network to deliver consistent on-therapy outcomes at scale.
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