Every year, pharma loses an estimated $630B on patient non-adherence—but the problem with adherence may not be the message itself, but where the message lands.
Pharma invests billions annually in patient outreach: $10B in traditional advertisements, $20B on provider marketing, and an average $21M per drug on promotional efforts aimed at helping patients start and stay on therapy.
Yet non-adherence rates remain at an all-time high, suggesting that traditional touchpoints alone may not be enough.
Between 44-76% of patients don’t take their medication as prescribed, and those rates are even higher among those with chronic conditions and in historically underserved areas. In 2022, approximately 1 in 5 older adults reported cost-related nonadherence.
We know the results all too well. Non-adherence leads to increased hospital visits, poor health outcomes, and a healthcare system burden costing an estimated $528 billion annually.
For pharma, poor adherence means lost revenue, weaker formulary positioning, reduced reimbursements from value-based contracts, and a diminished reputation among consumers.
But the missing link might be hiding in plain sight.
Independent pharmacists are uniquely positioned to access patients, promote medication education, and drive higher adherence rates.
They can bridge the gap between education and execution, turning pharma’s outreach into real-world adherence.
Here’s how:
Pharma continues to invest heavily in patient adherence outreach.
But even the most well-planned initiatives can face setbacks in the real world, especially when it comes to timing, access, and most importantly, trust.
Some of the most common strategies include:
These strategies are important pieces of the adherence puzzle but can hit a wall, especially in the final moments before a patient decides to fill their medication or not.
That wall is the pharmacy counter.
Enter the world of independent pharmacy.
Independent pharmacies make up 35% of the market—more than any single chain location—and serve more than 15 million patients. Thirty-four percent of independent community pharmacies are in an area with a population of less than 10,000. Collectively, two-thirds of independent pharmacies serve areas with a population less than 50,000.
Yet despite their reach, they remain one of pharma’s most under-leveraged partners, especially when it comes to improving adherence at the “last mile” and meeting patients where they are in their communities.
Patients visit their pharmacies more than any other healthcare provider—twice as much as primary care physicians—with some estimates reporting up to 35 times per year.
And for many vulnerable patient populations, the pharmacy isn’t just a supplement to care; it is the care.
A 2023 Health Affairs Scholar article found that patients over 65, those in rural communities, and those from lower-income households are significantly more likely to rely on independent pharmacies as their primary (and sometimes only) healthcare touchpoint.
That puts independents on the front lines, often in places where chain pharmacies can’t or won’t go.
But what sets independents apart isn’t proximity: it’s a personal relationship.
A 2022 Pharmacy systematic review found that patients trust independent pharmacies more than chains.
That relationship increases the likelihood that patients will seek support, ask questions, and engage in honest conversations about the barriers they face in maintaining adherence.
And timing matters, too.
Pharmacists are the final voice a patient hears before they decide to fill (or not fill) a prescription. This final moment—after the doctor's visit, after the ad, after the coupon—is often the most influential.
For all pharma’s investments in patient education and outreach, this is the critical moment where everything either falls into place… or falls short.
Independent pharmacy, then, isn’t just another avenue to promote adherence.
It’s the missing link.
Research consistently shows that pharmacists are highly effective in driving medication adherence.
A 2019 Journal of Pharmacy Practice study found that pharmacist-led adherence interventions with Medicare Advantage patients led to a statistically significant improvement.
Among patients who were nonadherent at baseline, the average proportion of days covered (PDC) increased from 74% to 88%—a 14-point jump (p < .0001).
This is especially relevant when considering that many contracts use 80% PDC as the benchmark for adherence, meaning pharmacists helped move a large portion of patients from "at-risk" to "on track."
Zooming out, a 2021 JAPhA systematic review analyzing 62 randomized trials found that pharmacist counseling increased adherence rates by nearly 30% across a variety of clinical settings.
These interventions are especially valuable in underserved communities, where non-adherence remains entrenched.
A 2023 JAPhA study focused on underserved urban areas showed that primary medication non-adherence (PMN) significantly decreased when patients received a pharmacist-led, evidence-based intervention.
And the benefits ripple outward.
That same 2021 JaPhA study found that adherence led by pharmacists lowered the rate of hospital readmission by 24% and decreased the overall burden on the healthcare system.
The takeaway is clear: When pharmacists are positioned as a frontline partner—not just a last step—in adherence strategies, the results speak for themselves.
At RedSail Technologies, we’re proud to support independent pharmacies and the pharma partners who depend on them as they drive adherence.
Our network of over 12,000 pharmacies is powered by pharmacy management systems (PMS) that make adherence a part of everyday workflow rather than another to-do.
Take our in-workflow adherence messages, for example.
These smart prompts are built directly into RedSail’s PMS and allow pharma partners to deliver timely, relevant medication information to pharmacists, who can then pass it along to patients at the point of care.
Because these messages are embedded into the pharmacy workflow, pharmacists can engage patients without disrupting their process or slowing down operations.
From there, they can do what they do best: educate patients, address adherence barriers, and ensure that medications are taken as prescribed.
In short, RedSail is building the bridge between pharma’s outreach and pharmacists’ patient relationships to turn education into action.
If you’re ready to move beyond traditional tactics and connect with patients at the moment it matters most, we’re here to help.
Independent pharmacies have the relationships, the access, and the trust to make a real impact on adherence.
With the right messaging from pharma and the right technology to disperse it, that impact only grows.
Reach out to our team at advantage@redsailtechnologies.com to learn more.
