Hubs East 2025: Adapting to Patient Needs: How Engagement Strategies Are Evolving in Specialty Pharmacy

PC: How is the role of patient engagement evolving in specialty pharmacy?

Butler: It’s becoming increasingly critical to evolve patient support in specialty pharmacy, as patients now expect more personalized care. With the rapid advancement of technology, they also anticipate greater connectivity. While access to information is beneficial, it can also be overwhelming. From struggling with passwords and accessing portals to needing reassurance, having someone check in on patients to ensure they receive the necessary resources adds a crucial level of personalization.

This isn’t just a “nice to have”—our programs have demonstrated measurable improvements in key adherence metrics that specialty pharmacies prioritize. We’ve increased the proportion of days covered by 5%, the average number of scripts per patient by over 80%, and medication volume by 60%. These gains stem from ensuring patients are well-prepared from the start, understand what’s ahead, and stay on course with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take the next step.

Full Interview Summary: The Good Start program by Pleio is designed to assist specialty pharmacies in improving patient engagement and adherence by providing comprehensive, patient-centric support. Specialty medications often involve complex onboarding processes, leaving patients feeling overwhelmed. Good Start addresses this by offering a structured, wraparound approach that guides patients from the moment they receive their medication. The program ensures patients understand the specialty pharmacy process, introduces them to their care teams, and creates a supportive environment that reduces anxiety.

A key feature of Good Start is its peer-to-patient outreach model, which addresses emotional barriers such as fear, mistrust, and anxiety—factors that significantly contribute to medication non-adherence. Non-clinical peers engage with patients in a more relatable manner, providing reassurance and helping them navigate the treatment process without the intimidation of clinical discussions. This approach aligns with findings from the AMA, which highlight that emotional barriers are a major cause of non-adherence.

Patient engagement in specialty pharmacy is evolving alongside technological advancements. While digital tools provide valuable resources, they can also be overwhelming. Patients expect more personalized support, including human check-ins that reinforce adherence. Pleio’s program has demonstrated success in improving key adherence metrics, including a 5% increase in proportion of days covered (PDC), an 80% rise in average scripts per patient, and a 60% boost in medication volume.