pLOG

2026-04-07

The Next Steps for Taiwan's Patient Assistance Programs (PAP) in 2026

Over the past few years, the Patient Support Program (PSP) market in Taiwan has experienced rapid growth. However, looking back from 2026, it is evident that the essence of PSP has undergone a fundamental transformation. It is no longer merely "patient care services," nor is it limited to medication reminders, health education tracking, or customer service mechanisms; instead, it marks a critical watershed for the formal entry into the era of value-based care.

The core competitiveness of future PSPs will not lie in the quantity of services provided, but rather in:

Whether they can tangibly improve patient outcomes, enhance medical efficiency, and create quantifiable value for the healthcare system.

Author: Nerrisa Kuo, Director, PatientsForce

 

PSP is being redefined

From the perspective of global pharmaceutical development, PSPs have evolved from a mere support function into a core component of pharmaceutical strategy.

Especially in the fields of oncology, rare diseases, autoimmune diseases, and specialty care, PSPs have directly influenced:

  • The speed of treatment initiation for patients
  • Treatment persistence rates
  • Discontinuation and attrition rates
  • Clinical outcome tracking
  • Patient quality of life (QoL)
     

In the past, pharmaceutical companies evaluated PSPs primarily by focusing on service volume, such as call volume, contact frequency, and satisfaction levels. However, the market now cares more about:

Whether the PSP has truly improved treatment outcomes. For example:

  • Whether the 3-month medication persistence rate has improved
  • Whether follow-up visit rates have improved
  • Whether hospitalization and emergency room visit rates have decreased
  • Whether adverse events (AEs) are detected earlier

This shift from process KPIs to outcome KPIs will comprehensively rewrite the design philosophy of PSPs.

 

AI will become the greatest catalyst for the advancement of PSPs

Another key trend in 2026 is the rapid integration of AI into patient support workflows. The role of AI in PSPs is not to replace humans, but to reallocate the value of professional human capital. For example:
Low-risk, standardized inquiries can be completed with the assistance of AI:

  • Preliminary symptom triage
  • Medication reminders
  • Follow-up appointment scheduling
  • FAQ and health education
  • Emotional risk early warning

In contrast, high-risk patients, complex treatment regimens, and psychological support will receive deep intervention from professional nurses and case management teams. This is not merely an efficiency gain, but a fundamental care model redesign. Amidst persistent healthcare workforce shortages, this will become the most critical capability over the next three years.

 

The next stage of Taiwan's Patient Support Programs (PSP) will not only be in hospitals but within the patients' homes

Pharmaceutical giants currently hold over $1 trillion in capital available for investment, nearing record highs. Conversely, more than half of biotechnology companies lack sufficient cash to sustain operations for more than 18 months. This has caused the M&A market to tilt in favor of buyers; however, sellers can offset this disadvantage through milestone payments linked to late-stage drug development.

Consequently, many biotech companies are turning to the IPO market, private equity, and private credit. Compared to traditional M&A, this allows companies greater operational flexibility and more R&D funding while still maintaining control over key drug development.

 

Challenges posed by regulatory bodies

Taiwan possesses a highly accessible National Health Insurance (NHI) system, but simultaneously faces the pressures of an aging population, the burden of chronic diseases, and a strained healthcare workforce. The most critical direction for the future development of PSPs is the shift from hospital-based support to home-based continuous care.

Especially in the fields of oncology and specialty medications, the real challenges patients face are often not in the clinic, but after they return home. This includes:

  • Side effect management
  • Treatment adherence
  • Caregiver stress
  • Emotional and anxiety support
  • Remote monitoring of physiological data

This is also a key direction that PatientsForce has been consistently investing in over recent years: extending patient support from hospitals into the scenes of daily life.

 

PSP will become the key to Real-World Evidence (RWE)

The value of future PSPs will by no means be limited to service alone.

More importantly, it will become a platform for generating Real-World Data (RWD) and Real-World Evidence (RWE). Through authentic interactions throughout the patient journey, it can continuously accumulate:

  • Medication persistence rate
  • Adverse event patterns
  • symptom burden
  • patient-reported outcomes
  • Quality of Life (QoL) indicators 
     

These data are not only valuable for medical care but also support:

  • HTA
  • reimbursement negotiation
  • HEOR
  • market access strategy
  • lifecycle evidence generation

Those who can prove with data that they are truly improving patient outcomes. This includes:

  • Higher treatment persistence rates
  • Lower hospitalization rates
  • Better patient experience
  • Better health economic outcomes

In the future, PSP will be more than just an extension of medical services. It will become the most vital value-based platform connecting patients, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare institutions, and digital technology. This, indeed, is the most anticipated direction for the next phase of transformation in Taiwan's healthcare industry.

 

Sources 
IQVIA (2026).,Four Forces Reshaping Patient Support in 2026. 
Deloitte (2026). The 2026 Global Health Care Outlook. 
WTW (2026). Global Medical Trends Survey Report – Asia Pacific Insights. 
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan (2025). Public Announcement of the Revised “National Health Insurance At-Home Acute Care Pilot Project.” 
National Science and Technology Council (2025). “Vision and Action for Home-Based Healthcare Technology.”