For pharmaceutical companies, patient engagement and activation used to be confined to a pamphlet about a particular drug. But patients today are savvier and technologically advanced, seeking information online and on their phones, demanding support that is  actionable and personalized. The days of informational brochures are over, and the digital age is leading more pharma brands to turn to apps and digital platforms to connect with patients – leading to increased brand awareness and greater revenue potential.

Brand Overload
It’s nearly impossible to avoid ads for a new medication or treatment therapy from a pharmaceutical company anymore. There are thousands of brands of drugs being marketed to patients and providers in nearly every available advertising space. But the explosion of drug ads may not be breaking through the noise, but rather adding to it. Pharma leaders should turn to digital patient platforms where patients are already active in managing their health.  In this space, companies can target those patients specific to conditions and provide personalized guidance that can help differentiate brands from competitors.

Managing the patient journey
As the leading medication management platform, Medisafe helps more than 7MM users navigate the patient journey. This process is more than just a pill reminder. In fact, there are more than 190 points of interaction where patients could choose to stop taking their medications. At these moments of challenge, patients are unlikely to refer to an advertisement or brochure for support – they want actionable support and guidance from experts. Pharma can play an integral role by providing custom assistance to patients during these moments via a digital drug companion. As patients move through their treatment journey, pharma companies can deliver the necessary support to make the experience a positive one and promote the effectiveness of their medication.

Loss of revenue
On average, 30% of patients don’t take their first dose, representing millions in lost spend and substantial risk to patients’ lives and future healthcare costs. But when medications are combined with a digital drug companion, those figures shrink to less than 4%. For all of the money spent on research, development, and promotion of medications, it can all be for naught if patients are not going to take their medications. Often times issues of nonadherence are due to concerns over side-effects, contraindications, and timing. Medisafe has warned users about more than 500,000 potentially harmful drug-to-drug interactions to discuss with their caregivers. By integrating pharma medications and support into a digital drug companion, pharma can address issues in the moment, helping to ensure medication compliance and long-term patient success.

Impact to brand awareness  
With so many medications being marketed through traditional means, brand equity for pharma organizations tends to remain rather low among patients. But by creating an engaging an supporting digital patient experience where consumers interact with a pharma brand throughout their journey can help to influence their viewpoint. A positive experience in taking a specific medication, coupled with engaging messaging and positive reinforcement for adherence can help to build a strong brand association among patients and improve the physician-patient connection. Investing in a digital drug companion can positively impact the ability for pharma to connect with physicians and patients and create positive outcomes.

The future of patient engagement is here and its digital. The majority of patients first turn to online and digital resources for assistance with their medication and managing their health. For pharma brands competing in the crowded drug market, positioning patient resources in digital platforms creates a prime opportunity to connect with an already engaged audience. Digital drug companions means pharma companies can create patient engagement that happens in real-time to support real-life patients toward positive results.