As a professionally trained pharmacist, Deborah Reardon, Vice President of Patient Excellence for the U.S. operations of German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim, has long held a unique perspective on the different stages of drug development and distribution.

"Unlike other healthcare professionals, pharmacists can deeply understand the science behind medications while also gaining firsthand knowledge of the complexities of accessing prescription drugs," she says. "When you combine these two, you understand how a company needs to transform to truly improve the patient experience."

Now, she is applying this perspective to lead Boehringer Ingelheim's newly established "Patient Excellence" pillar. This division consolidates all "patient-centric" teams, such as patient advocacy, support, and education, aiming to transform how patients interact with the company.

Deborah Reardown headshot
Deborah Reardon, Vice President of Patient Excellence, Boehringer Ingelheim U.S.
Image courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim

"We are now bringing all our teams together into one powerful force to ensure we co-create and gain insights into the patient journey throughout the entire process, which gives the patient experience a unique level of attention and importance that was previously more fragmented within the company," she says.

Reardon took over as head of this division in September, after holding various roles at Boehringer Ingelheim, most recently as Director of Access Solutions. Before joining Boehringer Ingelheim, she was a staff pharmacist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where she provided care for the high-profileCharla Nashcase, offering antibiotic and antifungal medication dosage recommendations—Nash underwent facial and hand transplants after being attacked by a chimpanzee.

In her new role, Reardon focuses on the entire patient experience, from early development to commercialization and beyond.

"When we think about our strategy for supporting all patients... we need to ask: How do we support them throughout their entire journey?"

Deborah Reardon

Vice President of Patient Excellence, Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced it would cap out-of-pocket costs for its inhaler products, including the blockbuster COPD drug Spiriva, at $35 per month, drawing widespread attention. Previously,the U.S. Congress had launched an investigation into high inhaler prices. Less than two weeks later,AstraZeneca also announced it would follow suit，GSK subsequently announced similar measures。

On the other hand,a new lawsuitaccuses the company ofimproperly filing patentsto delay generic competition for Combivent Respimat and Spiriva Respimat.

Here, Reardon discusses her role at Boehringer Ingelheim and how her pharmacist background shapes her work.

Q: Can you tell us about this new team and your role?

Deborah Reardon:Our Patient Excellence team is dedicated to reimagining the Boehringer patient experience to change lives in a different way. This means being a core part of every patient's ecosystem, delivering the ideal experience—from helping with diagnosis, participating in clinical trials, ensuring drug development improves quality of life, to supporting patients as they navigate the healthcare environment in all its aspects.

How do we view and value the patient experience differently? As a member of the executive team, I bring this voice to leadership: 'Are we doing what's in the best interest of the patient? Are we approaching it from the patient's perspective rather than Boehringer's?'

Q: Can you give an example of how this is implemented?

All our support programs are available to all patients using our products. So when we think about how to support all patients—especially those with health equity gaps, limited access to care, or who might be missed by the healthcare system—we need to ask: How do we support them in their journey? One way is by having financial support coordinators in our programs to help patients find affordable options. One of the biggest barriers to patients getting the treatment they need is often affordability options and understanding of insurance.

Q: How do you work on drug development?

My team is dedicated to integrating patient insights and co-creation into the process. For example, in clinical trial design, removing barriers that limit patient participation, such as the number of blood draws, distance to labs, and genuinely considering the burden patients might experience from participating in a trial and its impact.

Q: What more can the company and the industry do to improve the patient experience?

In my view, and possibly across the industry, the key is connecting data to understand where all patients are in their journey. How do we view the patient journey differently and provide personalized experiences? To provide a personalized experience, you must understand the patient's stage: Are they newly diagnosed, or have they been living with the disease for years? Are they in an environment lacking caregivers or family support, requiring alternatives?

This requires truly understanding each individual and being able to create what I call 'personalized navigation capabilities' to provide support in real time. This is where we are focusing: How do we use data and data strategy to understand where all patients are? How do we help them in the most personalized, optimal way?