Digital Retail Platforms: The new concept of Pharma to sell directly to patients

Pharma has a history of exploring digital technologies to develop innovative business models and opportunities. Digital retail platforms represent the latest evolution in this space. A new Research2Guidance report on digital pharma business models has been published.

Since the beginning of the digital health market over 15 years ago, pharmaceutical companies have repeatedly tried to develop new business models with the help of technology. Most of the platforms and services that have been developed have patients as end users and payers as “payers” in their sights. But there are also services that have doctors or even other pharmaceutical companies as their target group.

This content is based on insights from Research2Guidance‘s latest report, PHARMA DIGITAL RETAIL MODEL: The New Sales Channel for Pharma to Boost Drug Sales and Gain Insights into Patient Behavior, published in January 2025.

The first digital retail platforms such as Lilly Direct or PfizerforAll differentiate themselves from other digital business models primarily through their value proposition and high degree of outsourcing. There are six types of digital platforms used by pharmaceutical companies.

Comparative Models in Digital Pharma Strategies:

1. Companion Models: Focus on supporting patients during treatment, typically free of charge, while drugs or devices are paid for by patients or payers. These solutions offer education, symptom tracking, adherence, and drug ordering support. Examples include Sanofi’s Medisafe-powered companion for Dupixent and J&J’s Acuvue Abiliti for managing myopia in children.
2. Consumer Models: Target patients paying out-of-pocket for non-prescription drugs, devices, or supplements. These models use websites and apps, which are free to access, to provide product information and online shopping. Example: Bayer’s One A Day Age Factor app and website.
3. Digital Therapeutics (DTx) Models: Replace prescription medications or treatments with clinically validated digital interventions, often funded by payers. They target patients and HCPs and must meet regulatory standards. Example: Pfizer and Sidekick Health’s app for managing atopic dermatitis with personalized insights.
4. Solution Provider Models: Serve other pharma companies, CROs, or healthcare systems by selling digital tools like clinical trial platforms or patient engagement systems, typically via licensing deals. Example: AstraZeneca’s Evinova for trial management.
5. Platform Models: Provide hospitals and healthcare systems with integrated solutions, funded by tech license contracts. These platforms link hospital systems and data for streamlined operations. Examples: Roche’s Navify for oncology workflows and Roche Diabetes Care Platform for managing diabetes.

The Pharma Digital Retail Model (PDRM) is a new sales strategy in the pharmaceutical industry designed to harness digital platforms for improving patient access to medications, boosting drug sales, and gathering valuable insights into patient behavior. This model simplifies the patient journey, addressing needs from identifying health concerns (“What is my problem?“) to obtaining the prescribed medication (“When and how do I get my medication?“), offering significant convenience and relief.

A key feature of the PDRM is its reliance on a high degree of outsourcing, which minimizes operational risks for pharmaceutical companies and facilitates scalability across different market segments and therapeutic areas. By targeting patients directly as both customers and end-users, the PDRM enhances accessibility and affordability, enabling patients to obtain medications and support directly from pharmaceutical companies.

As a relatively new digital health business model, the PDRM exemplifies how pharma companies are innovating to engage directly with patient groups through technology.

To learn more about the new business model, download the new report here