WHITE PAPER
The DTP program launched. The channel didn’t.
Why some direct-to-patient programs plateau after go-live — and the four numbers that tell you what it is costing your brand.
98M
new therapy prescriptions abandoned at U.S. pharmacies in 2023
44M
of those abandoned when the patient cost was under $10
$80M
annual pool on a brand writing 50,000 new scripts
The two failure modes we have seen across five DTP programs
Why 72% of adults would buy direct and only 22% ever have
The four numbers that size what the plateau is costing you
Key findings
98 million new therapy prescriptions were abandoned at U.S. pharmacies in 2023, 44 million of them when the patient’s cost was under $10 (IQVIA Institute, 2024).
72% of U.S. adults say they would buy prescriptions directly from a manufacturer, but only 22% ever have (Model N / Dynata survey, June 2025).
For a brand writing 50,000 new prescriptions a year, abandonment and early discontinuation leave roughly $80 million a year unrealized (Kairos Meridian illustrative model).
Sales returned per dollar of DTC spend on specialty launches fell from about $85 for 2013 launches to roughly $1 for 2022 launches (IQVIA).