Patient support teams know the feeling well: You’ve built a strong copay program, created educational patient resources, and aligned with healthcare providers. But patients still fall through the cracks. Engagement is low. Prescriptions are abandoned. And support that should work...often doesn’t.
One of the biggest reasons? Your program isn’t personalized enough—and that’s not your fault. Without the right data, the right timing, and the right tools, even the best-designed support program can feel generic or come too late.
“This is a complex space—even for me,” said Colin Banas, M.D., M.H.A., Chief Medical Officer of DrFirst. “As a doctor, I should know how to navigate it, but I still struggle. If I’m struggling, imagine what it’s like for providers in a 15-minute visit—or for patients trying to figure it out on their own.”
That honest insight came during a recent Fierce Pharma webinar on medication affordability, where Dr. Banas and two pharmaceutical industry leaders explored how data is transforming the patient experience—and where support teams are seeing the greatest impact.
Their shared takeaway? Hyper-personalization is no longer a bonus. It’s essential.
Data is everywhere. But patient support teams don’t always have the systems (or access) to use it when and where it matters most. Kim Plesnarski, SVP of Market Access and Patient Support Solutions at Syneos Health, manages copay programs across several brands.
“If you’re not reviewing your data regularly—more than once a quarter—you’re missing critical insights,” she said. “We’ve seen double-digit lifts in engagement when we reach out with timely, relevant messages based on patients’ actual coverage.”
That means targeting the right patients, at the right time, with support that makes sense for their real-world situation. One of the most effective channels? SMS.
“People might ignore emails or portal messages, but almost everyone reads their text messages,” Dr. Banas said. “As long as it’s done appropriately—securely, with opt-outs—SMS is incredibly effective. We achieve open rates over 90%.”
Copay program data is often viewed as a way to count how many patients use their savings cards—but its real value goes much deeper. Anindita Sinha, VP of Commercial Operations at Shionogi, described how her team uses data as an early warning system.
“We started to see prior auth codes tied to transactions, even when we thought no prior auth was required,” she explained. “The copay data helped us catch that—and that’s the kind of thing that could delay therapy for patients.”
Anindita emphasized that this data can reveal payer and pharmacy behaviors that impact access—if you’re paying attention.
“If you don’t look at your copay data closely—and often—you’ll miss key signals that could affect the patient journey.”
When it comes to uncovering insights into pharmacy behavior and payer dynamics that create barriers along the patient journey, data isn't only helpful—it's essential for making the system work.
Or, as Dr. Banas quipped: “In God we trust. Everyone else must bring data.”
Most support programs are designed for the start of treatment. But as Dr. Banas pointed out, that’s just one moment in a longer journey.
“Maybe affordability is the first hurdle,” he said. “But later it could be side effects, or caregiver training, or refill logistics. The support has to evolve with the patient.”
And that kind of flexible, patient-centered support is no longer optional. Kim added:
“The old playbook doesn’t work anymore. You need to be change-ready, agile, and build cross-functional teams that can act fast—and monitor constantly.”
Behind every data point is a real person facing a real health challenge.
“Always keep the patient at the center,” said Anindita. “They’re in your program because they’re going through something—something big. Design your experience to support them, not just to maximize opportunity.”
Watch the on-demand webinar to learn how real-world teams are using data to close gaps in affordability and improve patient outcomes.
Looking to activate these strategies in your own patient support programs? Learn more about Timely by DrFirst.