GLP-1 Demand Is High. So What's Getting Between Patients and Their Next Prescription?

User Barrier #1: Complicated paths to access and affordability

Consider a scenario many GLP-1 patients will recognize: A patient decides to start treatment and turns to a manufacturer’s direct-to-patient platform to get started. The cash price gives them pause, so they enter their insurance information, expecting their plan to help cover the cost. Their plan requires prior authorization, and after several days of waiting while their prescriber’s office submits the request, coverage is denied. While skimming online message boards, they learn of a discount program, but it’s for a different form of the drug. They return to their prescriber to adjust the prescription and begin the access process again, fingers crossed.

Access hurdles like these are common at the start of GLP-1 treatment, and they can return during therapy when prior authorizations come up for renewal or coverage changes.
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Each detour costs patients time, energy, and motivation. On direct-to-patient platforms, conversion typically means reaching first fill, whether through insurance coverage or a self-pay option. When program complexity creates multiple paths to an affordable prescription, each with an uncertain payoff, patients are more likely to delay treatment or abandon the process before that first fill.

Direct-to-patient platforms are well positioned to solve this. Manufacturers built them in part to simplify access and give patients a clearer route to therapy, and the stakes extend well beyond the first fill. A patient who reaches an affordable prescription with confidence is more likely to stay on treatment, and persistence drives both health outcomes and long-term value for the manufacturer.

When a platform guides patients to their most viable path from the start, patients gain faster, more predictable access, and manufacturers gain patients who start and stay on therapy.

How can behavior design improve patient access and affordability?

Obviously, we want to make it easy—well, as easy as possible. But the trickier thing is getting patients to invest their effort when there’s no guarantee. They could submit all the documentation and still get a denial.

Behavior design starts with the decision a patient faces at each step. In access and affordability, the central challenge is effort under uncertainty. Reducing friction helps, and reducing uncertainty matters even more, because patients are far more willing to invest effort when they can see where it leads.

In scenarios like this, the most effective lever is bringing information forward.

Help patients proactively identify their likely access options before they begin a lengthy process. Clearly explain eligibility requirements and potential out-of-pocket costs. Show what happens after a denial, rather than leaving patients at a dead end. And throughout, set expectations about timing, documentation, and what might require prescriber involvement.

Effective direct-to-patient platforms pair a high-level view of the patient’s full access journey with a focused view of what needs to happen now. Together, these give patients confidence in the path ahead and clarity on their next step, which keeps them moving toward first fill.

Issue #2: Patients need reassurance when treatment gets difficult—not just reminders to refill.

Another common scenario arises when a patient’s dose increases. Around the same time, they may develop unpleasant side effects, such as digestive issues, thinning hair, or increased anxiety, and they feel noticeably worse on the new dose. They expect that messaging their prescriber will only lead to a request to schedule another appointment. Concluding the treatment isn’t right for them, they stop taking it.

GLP-1s, as well as many other therapies, involve a titration schedule where doses are slowly changed over time. As their response to therapy changes, patients are quick to stop or search out their own information in online communities. Online boards are filled with tapering schedules and side effect hacks. While these sources are not validated by medical professionals, they are highly trusted. Patients feel validated that they’re not the only ones experiencing this and love the practical answers from people with firsthand experience.

For manufacturers, these moments directly shape persistence. When a patient experiences unexpected side effects or starts questioning whether their therapy is working, another refill reminder isn't going to solve the problem. They need timely, trustworthy support that helps them understand what's happening and what to do next.

How do you design for persistence when the patient experience keeps changing?

Behavior design looks at the decision a patient is making in each moment. During titration, that decision is whether to keep going, and patients weigh it by comparing what they’re experiencing now against the benefit they expect later. Side effects are immediate and tangible, while progress can feel slow or invisible. When the costs feel larger than the benefits, patients stop. Designing for persistence means supporting patients at the moments when that balance is most likely to tip.

Instead of relying on scheduled refill reminders, consider proactive check-ins around dose changes or periods when side effects are more likely. Ask patients how they're feeling, provide relevant education, and help them recognize when to contact their care team. These moments create opportunities to address concerns before patients disengage.

When official resources don't answer their questions, patients often turn to online communities for reassurance and advice. Manufacturers have an opportunity to close that gap with credible, accessible information that acknowledges what patients are experiencing. Clear explanations, practical guidance, and easy access to clinical support can help patients feel more confident making informed decisions about their treatment.

Progress isn't always obvious, especially when treatment comes with uncomfortable side effects. Helping patients reflect on changes they've experienced, recognize meaningful milestones, and connect their progress to personal goals can reinforce the value of treatment. Patients shouldn’t just push through concerning symptoms, but evaluate their progress and make informed decisions with their care team.