The US healthcare system is broken today. Patient costs are spiraling higher, while access to healthcare professionals is an increasing challenge. A friend of mine with a family history of Parkinson’s recently tried to find a Neurologist for a consult about her own health and couldn’t get an appointment for 16+ weeks. I can’t just call my doctor. Messages I post in his practice portal may be answered in 48 hours but often leave me with even more questions. When I finally go in for an appointment, the time we can spend together feels rushed.

We have all been there.

Healthcare professionals are feeling more hurried and stressed than ever, with many deciding to retire early or move to concierge medicine models where they aren’t as limited in the time and care they can give to individual patients. But most patients can’t afford VIP concierge care, especially now. Patients are feeling the squeeze the most. Access to quality care is at an all-time low due to rising costs, challenging insurance claims processes, and a shortage of HCPs and time on their calendars.

Pharma brands can and should help. Not only for the sake of altruism (although that would be nice), but because being truly helpful is good for business as well. The state of today’s US healthcare system, crossed with the efficiency of digital marketing and availability of data present an unprecedented opportunity for responsible pharma brands to simultaneously fill critical gaps for patients, create better health outcomes, and accelerate the growth of their businesses. It’s ironic that pharmaceutical companies invest billions annually in patient engagement initiatives, yet so much of it is geared solely to drive awareness. For a fraction of what they spend on widely targeted media campaigns, they can build personalized programs which can help patients navigate co-pay options, manage symptoms, and drive increases in starts and adherence.

In 2025, evolved pharma marketers are rewriting the playbook, moving beyond awareness toward personalized, purpose-driven experiences that adapt to patients along their therapy journey. Success requires a higher standard: advanced data capabilities combined with behavioral science and empathetic design.

Why Typical “Personalization” Isn’t Enough

Superficial tactics ignore the real drivers of therapy initiation and persistence. As expectations rise, relying on ad or message frequency alone produces diminishing effectiveness. True personalization means delivering the right message, in the right tone, at the right time, aligned with a patient’s clinical and emotional state. When that alignment occurs, trust grows; when it doesn’t, adherence often declines.

The breakthrough occurs when pharma brands invest in growing their patient data sets,and then pair it with behavioral science: data shows what patients are doing; behavioral frameworks explain why. Applied together, they enable adaptive support that changes real behavior.

Behavioral Models in Practice

 

Strategies that succeed are operationalizing validated models:

 

• Necessity–Concerns Framework: Differentiates patients uncertain about efficacy, versus Rx hesitancy versus those worried about side effects or cost.

• Stages of Change Model: Matches patient communications to where they are in their journey—awareness, initiation, or maintenance.

• Optimal Stimulation Level Theory: Manages the timing and volume of information to prevent disengagement.

 

Evolved pharma brands deliver relevant info based on what patients’ concerns and motivations are, at the right times in their journey. Imagine a new patient may need some hand holding to properly discuss a drug with their doctor, versus someone who was recently prescribed may need help with their co-pay approval, versus someone on a drug for 30 days may need help with managing potential side effects, versus a patent at the 90-day point may need adherence reinforcement and prescription refill help.

The Response Media Patient‑First Approach

Even the best insight fails if systems cannot respond quickly. This is why leading brands are investing in AI-driven martech stacks, automation, and real-time validation to deliver precision engagement. By 2026, regulators, such as the FDA, may also require evidence of transparency and ethical data practices in digital patient interactions.

Our Verde platform enables pharma to trigger dynamic personalization—such as affordability reminders when co-pay cards remain unused—rather than sending generic follow-ups. Coupled with our EDGE framework (Engagement-Driven Growth Engine), this creates intuitive, human-centered patient journeys.

Working with the chronic dry eye therapy drug, Xiidra, we deployed uniquely customized onboarding, behavioral triggers, and adaptive content. This drove enormous growth enhancement just in year one:

The Payoff

 

Personalization with purpose allows pharma brands to:

 

• Build deeper patient trust and adherence
• Give providers confidence their patients feel supported beyond the prescription
• Realize stronger brand loyalty and long-term growth
• Realize stronger brand loyalty and long-term growth
• Truly help patients on their treatment journeys to:

Better understand their therapies (how to discuss with HCPs, use properly)

Assist with access, cost, insurance claims, co-pay programs, and refills

Mitigate potential side effects

Proactively answer questions and make it easier to be adherent

 
The future winners won’t be the loudest, but those who listen, empathize, and act with intelligence and human-centered care. This approach doesn’t only accelerate pharma brand growth but creates better health outcomes. At Response Media, we’re proud to be helping our health clients set the new standard.