Revolutionizing Patient Support: The Power of a Seamless Product Access Framework

Poor medication adherence has been increasingly recognized as a significant public health issue and a priority for health care reform. Studies have estimated medication nonadherence rates as high as one-third to one-half of all patients. For many, it’s not a life-altering diagnosis, but the maze of obstacles they encounter to get the treatment they need. The road to ensuring patients have seamless access to the therapies they need is complex, nuanced, and constantly evolving.

At Archbow Consulting, we’ve spent years navigating the intricacies of the product access journey, helping life sciences companies design patient support programs that address challenges and set the gold standard for effectiveness and impact. As we prepare to take the stage at the 2025 Asembia Conference, we’re excited to launch a three-part blog series that will dive deep into the key elements shaping the patient access landscape today. This series will provide a sneak peek into our upcoming panel discussion and set the stage for meaningful conversations at Asembia 2025.

Archbow will explore the foundational components of a successful patient support program, unravel the complexities of the product access journey, and highlight the strategies that can drive better outcomes for patients, providers, and manufacturers alike. Whether you’re working to overcome access barriers, improve program efficiency, or create a more patient-centric approach, this series will deliver actionable insights to help your team stay ahead in an ever-changing healthcare environment.

Why Understanding the Product Access Journey is Essential for Patient Support Success

Introduction

The journey from prescription to therapy initiation is often more complex than expected. Patients navigating access to treatment – particularly in specialty and rare diseases – face multiple barriers from insurance approvals to affordability and access challenges. These roadblocks delay treatment and impact adherence, outcomes, and overall patient experience.

For pharmaceutical companies, Patient Support Programs (PSPs) are the connection point between prescription and successful treatment. However, without a clear understanding of the product access journey, even the most well-intentioned support services may fail to deliver. In this blog, we’ll explore why product access is the foundation of an effective and innovative patient support strategy and how a well-designed journey leads to better patient engagement, healthcare provider satisfaction, and commercial success.

The Role of the Product Access Journey in Patient Support Programs

The product access journey refers to the steps a patient must take from when a prescription is written to the point they receive and adhere to their treatment. In rare diseases and specialty medicine, the journey is rarely straightforward.

Some of the most common challenges include:

• Specialty distribution complexities – unlike traditional retail pharmacy models, many specialty products must be dispensed through limited pharmacy networks or administered at sites of care, adding another layer of product and patient coordination
• Prior authorizations and reimbursement hurdles – many therapies require medical documentation and payer approvals, causing delays
• Affordability concerns – even with coverage, copays and deductibles can be significant barriers, making copay assistance and Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) essential
• Patient engagement and adherence challenges – navigating treatment access can be overwhelming, leading to drop-off rates before therapy even begins. Proactive engagement strategies, education, and ongoing support are critical to ensuring patients start and stay on therapy

When these challenges are not addressed holistically, patients may abandon treatment before they even start. That’s why an effective PSP model must align with the product access journey – ensuring services like benefit verification, prior authorization, clinical education, lifestyle support, field reimbursement, and affordability solutions are seamlessly integrated into the process.

Innovating Patient Support Through a Better Access Framework

The industry is evolving, and pharmaceutical companies must rethink patient support services beyond traditional models. Some of the most impactful innovations include:

• Technology-driven access solutions – electronic prior authorization tools and real-time benefit investigation can reduce delays
• Integration of patient support services – coordinating PSP services, specialty pharmacy services, and field reimbursement teams ensures a frictionless experience for patients and providers
• Leveraging data for continuous improvement – by analyzing trends, bottlenecks, and customer behaviors, companies can refine their approach to optimize program efficiency and program engagement

Pharmaceutical companies can improve time-to-therapy, adherence, and customer satisfaction by designing PSPs that anticipate and proactively address access barriers.

Conclusion: Why This Matters Now

Patient access has become a critical differentiator in delivering adequate patient support as the healthcare landscape shifts. Companies prioritizing seamless, tech-enabled, and customer-centric access models will improve patient outcomes and strengthen their brand’s reputation and market success.

As we gear up for our panel presentation at the 2025 Asembia Conference, we’re thrilled to embark on this blog series, exploring the critical components of the product access journey and the foundation of effective patient support programs. At Archbow Consulting, we believe that understanding the complexities of access and support is key to creating solutions that genuinely work for patients, providers, and manufacturers alike.

Stay tuned for Part II of our blog series, where we will leverage experts from our team to dive deeper into the product access journey – exploring the key stakeholders and decision-makers who influence how and when treatment reaches the patient. Each stage of the access journey presents unique barriers, and understanding these roadblocks is essential to designing the right services that remove friction and improve patient access.

Together, we can design programs that don’t just address challenges—they unlock new possibilities for improving patient outcomes. Tell us – what barriers in the product access journey are you working to overcome today?