Marketing Strategies to Boost Access to Prescription Medications

The pharmaceutical supply chain is the means through which prescription medications are manufactured and delivered to patients. There are many ways that patients can obtain a prescription, including mail-order, HMO or hospital, drug store, and online. 

Pharmacists write nearly 3.8 billion prescriptions each year. But patients only fill about one-fifth of these medications, according to 2017 figures from the CDC.

A large portion of medication non-adherence is due to high drug prices. But access to community pharmacy and complex medication regimens are also barriers for many patients, especially older adults who might have multiple chronic illnesses.

Good medication adherence generally arises from the convenience of getting a prescription. And as the healthcare industry sees adherence rates decrease, it must look to targeted pharmaceutical marketing strategies that make medication access easier.

For example, mail-order is effective because of its convenience factor. Patients can receive their medication directly to their doorstep while in the comfort of their homes. They do not need to take off time from work to go to a pharmacy during business hours or frequently make trips to the pharmacy for prescriptions with frequent refill dates. 

According to an analysis from Xtelligent Healthcare Media’s research team, 6.73 percent of 0 to 30 Rx prescriptions were filled via mail-order in 2019, versus 6.56 percent in 2018.

Additionally, 7.3 percent of 31 to 60 Rx prescriptions were filled via mail-order in 2019, while 7.73 percent were filled in 2018. And 13.4 percent of 61 to 120 Rx prescriptions were filled by mail-order in 2019 versus 14.29 percent in 2018.

As patients filled a larger amount of Rx medication, mail-orders saw a slight decrease year-over-year. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief, this drop in percentage may be due to the potential of mail service delays. If an individual needs medication immediately, mail-order may not suffice. 

Similar to mail-order prescriptions, online prescription orders have become more popular over the last few years. Patients can monitor and refill prescriptions through secure online portals. 

Buying prescription medicines online has many advantages that a local pharmacy may not offer. For example, there is a greater availability of medicines for people confined to their homes or for those who live far from the pharmacy. And patients are able to easily compare drug prices to other sites to find the best deals. 

The most popular online prescription services include Amazon Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy prescription delivery, AllianceRx, Walmart Pharmacy, and Express Scripts.

Nearly  0.35 percent of 0 to 30 prescriptions were filled via online order in 2019, versus 0.22 percent in 2018. And 0.27 percent of 31 to 60 prescriptions were filled via online in 2019, compared to 0.20 percent in 2018.

In 2018, 0.55 percent of 61 to 120 Rx prescriptions were filled online versus 0.61 percent in 2019, the largest percentage uptick for online prescription orders. 

More and more doctors in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and hospitals have also begun filling certain prescriptions because it saves the patient from going to a pharmacy. 

In 2018, 8.39 percent of 0 to 30 Rx prescriptions were filled via HMO or hospital, while in 2019, 8.56 percent of 0 to 30 Rx prescriptions were filled the same way. 

And in 2018, 10.02 percent of 31 to 60 prescriptions were filled via HMO or hospital versus 10.18 percent in 2019. 

The biggest discrepancy surrounds 120 or more Rx prescription fills. In 2018, 12.25 percent of 121 and more prescriptions were filled via HMO or hospital, while 10.16 percent were filled using the same method in 2019. 

The analysis ultimately reveals that a majority of the time, patients find it convenient to receive a prescription from an HMO or hospital. But the larger the prescription, the more likely that patients will fill their medication elsewhere. 

The majority of prescriptions are still filled in traditional pharmacies and drug stores. At a pharmacy, a pharmacist will fill in any missing prescribing information, ensure the medication is safe for a patient to take, and process the prescription through insurance. 

But the slow rise in alternative options hints at a move toward greater accessibility. 

Many Americans find the cost of regularly taking and filling their medications to be too much. A 2018 Consumer Reports survey revealed that prescription drug prices can vary as much as 10 times between pharmacies, even within the same city. 

Having a variety of locations to fill a prescription means patients have a choice to find the most convenient method of them. 

Various pharmaceutical marketing strategies can work to easily connect patients to their drugs and manage complicated drug plans. For example, mail and online prescription orders are appealing for individuals who may not be able to leave their home or who do not live close to a pharmacy. 

But patients who can get their prescriptions right from an HMO or hospital find this method more convenient because it saves them from having to go to a pharmacy. 

Ultimately, pharmaceutical marketing strategies that target specific consumer needs address many of the accessibility the  barriers tied to medication adherence.