Dimensionalizing the Medication Access Journey
By blending technology with human support and tailoring care to the real-life needs, preferences and habits of patients, we can deliver healthcare that’s both deeply personal and highly effective.
Navigating the healthcare system can feel overwhelming, even for those who know it well. For patients who aren’t familiar with its twists and turns, it can sometimes feel insurmountable.
Take, for example, a patient who gets on an hour-long bus ride to see a specialist and receive a new prescription. At the pharmacy, they’re told the medication isn’t covered by insurance, meaning they must pay full price or wait for their provider to submit a prior authorization request. Once it’s paid for, the pharmacist shares a pamphlet that warns of interactions with another medication they happen to take, prescribed by their general practitioner. Did they just pay full price for a prescription they can’t even use? What now, another trip back to the specialist?
With every obstacle, navigating the patient journey can feel like a losing battle.
While creating the 2025 Medication Access Report, we heard countless stories from patients who have come up against challenges like these. How can we, as an industry, then begin to help people get the care they need and deserve?
Our first step requires seeing the whole patient, looking beyond their medical records to understand their personal challenges, needs and daily realities. This is where the concept of dimensionalization comes in.
Healthcare that Works for Real Life
Dimensionalizing healthcare means expanding our view beyond traditional care models to create personalized and accessible pathways that meet patients where they are. After all, factors like income, housing, transportation and food security — known as social determinants of health (SDOH) — play a major role in healthcare access.
These factors are also deeply connected to race, gender, culture and other personal circumstances that shape a person’s ability to get the care they need. Women, for example, are more likely than men to skip medications due to cost, and Black and Hispanic adults face this struggle more often than white adults.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, June 2). Products - data briefs - number 470 - June 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dimensionalization also means considering a patient’s chronic conditions, mental health struggles, and genetic predispositions — and taking into account how patients navigate the system. Doctor visits, pharmacist advice, insurance hurdles and awareness of support programs all play a role in whether they receive proper care or slip through the cracks.
More than anything, a dimensionalized approach recognizes that managing health isn’t a single event but an ongoing journey. Access, affordability and adherence in medication management, for example, aren’t separate issues: Research shows that improving adherence requires tackling multiple barriers at once.Aljofan, Mohamad, et al. “The Rate of Medication Nonadherence and Influencing Factors: A Systematic Review.” Electronic Journal of General Medicine, vol. 20, no. 3, Feb. 2023, p. em471. And adherence matters. Nearly 50% of treatment failures happen because patients miss doses or stop taking their medication altogether.Prescription Predicament: The Impact of Rising Drug Costs on Medication Adherence. Magellan Health Insights, 19 Feb. 2024.
Connecting the Pieces for Better Care
To truly see the whole patient, we need to start by sharing with each other what we know. The truth is, while we have more patient data than ever today, much of it still sits in silos. That leaves patients doing the heavy lifting of updating doctors, passing information between pharmacies, and searching for discounts or support programs.
But patients shouldn’t have to be their own care coordinators, especially while dealing with a medical condition.
Healthcare teams must communicate better with each other. The good news is that we have the technology to make this happen: interoperable systems that connect the dots in real-time so providers, pharmacists and insurers can work together. This means integrating electronic health records (EHRs), customer relationship management (CRM) systems, pharmacy management systems, pharmacy workflow tools and patient management software across the board.
Right now, 46% of pharmacists and 52% of providers say they wouldn’t invest in interoperability solutions due to limited knowledge about these tools.CoverMyMeds Brand Health Survey, 2024. Clearly, there is a need to raise awareness about the availability and importance of these solutions. Then we can begin building a system that’s more efficient, less frustrating and designed around the people it serves.
Talking with Patients on Their Terms
Getting our electronic systems to work together, however, isn’t enough. We also need to start connecting with patients in ways that feel natural and accessible to them.
Today, there are so many different ways to communicate that patients engage with healthcare in wildly varied channels. Some use apps, others rely on phone calls. Some rarely check their traditional mailboxes, while others don’t check email. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Yet when communication doesn’t match a patient’s habits, critical health information gets lost.
This means we need to make it easy for patients to choose their preferred communication method. To that end, smart tools can help automate outreach to match patient preferences and fine-tune that outreach by analyzing engagement patterns.
Human Connections in a Digital World
While technology can be used for better communication between providers and with patients, at the heart of it, human involvement is what makes care personal and meaningful.
In the age of AI, human expertise is what keeps healthcare ethical, effective and patient-centered. It helps ensure that data-driven decisions actually serve the people behind the numbers. This is especially critical in areas like prior authorization and payer processes, where compassion and clinical judgment matter just as much as efficiency. That’s why organizations like the American Medical Association (AMA) stress the need for strong oversight to ensure AI supports, rather than replaces, the expertise of medical professionals.20, Dec. “Future of Health Issue Brief: Advancing Data Sharing to Support Digitally Enabled Care.” American Medical Association, 20 Dec. 2023.
Human involvement is also what creates real-world connection. Field reimbursement managers and clinical support personnel can help bridge the gap between digital solutions and patient experiences so that technology’s benefits reach the people who need them most.
Bringing Patient Care into Full Focus
Healthcare is, and always has been, about people. At its core, healthcare should feel human —responsive, personal and fair. Dimensionalizing the patient journey is just one step toward that vision. The 2025 Medication Access Report dives deeper into the research and key shifts shaping the future of medication access to help healthcare stakeholders navigate today’s biggest challenges. For a broader perspective on where we’re headed — and how we can get there together — request the full report.
The latest healthcare insights, floated right to your inbox.
