Short Takes

Video Interviews With Industry Leaders

The Digital Health Coalition partners with a wide array of pharmaceutical industry leaders and key stakeholders to facilitate and disseminate insights on a range of topics related to digital pharmaceutical marketing innovation. 

Recent DHCG Disruptive Dose

Disruptive Dose Archive

Sanjeev Menon

Head of Partnerships, Ubie
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group and Sanjeev Menon, Head of Partnerships at Ubie explore the evolving role of AI in healthcare—particularly the growing impact of clinically focused large language models. Sanjeev shares insights from Ubie’s work with 1,900 provider organizations, where their AI-driven solutions have improved diagnostic accuracy and significantly reduced time spent gathering information. The conversation touches on the balance between AI and human oversight, the importance of transparency and trust signals for patient adoption, and the need for pharma to tread carefully when introducing branded tools. Sanjeev also highlights how regulatory compliance, real-world data, and collaboration across stakeholders will be key to unlocking AI’s full potential as a trusted extension of the care team.

 

RJ Lewis

Founder & CEO, eHealthcare Solutions
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group and RJ Lewis, Founder & CEO of eHealthcare Solutions discuss the evolving landscape of physician-level data and how AI is transforming personalized engagement in healthcare marketing. RJ outlines a three-pillar strategy—real-time PLD access, one-to-one bidding, and AI-generated creative—that brings the industry closer than ever to the long-standing goal of true one-to-one marketing. He highlights how AI is enabling dynamic segmentation and personalization, down to bid-level targeting and creative variations by individual physician behavior. The discussion also dives into regulatory challenges, especially around MLR compliance and modular content, and explores how personalization must strike a balance between being meaningful and avoiding the “creepy” factor. RJ also offers a candid look at how AI is reshaping the publishing world, posing existential risks to content aggregators while reinforcing the value of credible, original sources. Looking ahead, he predicts a near future where AI is a trusted second opinion in clinical settings and plays a central role across marketing and media.

 

Darshan Kulkarni

Regulatory and Compliance Attorney for the Life Sciences, The Kulkarni Law Firm
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group and Darshan Kulkarni, Regulatory and Compliance Attorney for the Life Sciences at The Kulkarni Law Firm, dive into the evolving role of pharma in direct-to-consumer and direct-to-patient models. As companies bypass traditional intermediaries like PBMs and GPOs, new challenges arise in education, prescribing, liability, and distribution. They explore critical questions: Who truly owns the patient relationship? How will regulatory shifts impact pharma’s expanding role? And what happens when AI and virtual care disrupt traditional pharmacy models? Darshan shares his expert take on the legal, compliance, and strategic risks that will shape the industry’s future.

 

Josh Simon

SVP, Social Center of Excellence, Centered, CMI Media Group
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group sits down with Josh Simon, SVP of the Social Center of Excellence at CMI Media Group, to discuss the evolving landscape of social influencers in pharma. They explore the shift from celebrity-driven content to authentic partnerships with HCPs and patients, the challenges of balancing compliance with genuine storytelling, and the differences between consumer, patient, and physician influencers. Josh shares insights on sourcing true digital opinion leaders, the growing role of micro-influencers, and how smaller pharma companies leverage them as a competitive advantage.

 

Andy Kennemer

CXellence Digital Advisors
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of the DHC Group sits down with Andy Kennemer to  discuss the state of customer experience (CX) in pharma, highlighting the industry’s reliance on sales reps and the shift toward digital channels post-COVID. They explore the role of AI chatbots in improving engagement and the challenges of scaling human support, measuring CX success, reducing friction, and learning from disruptive brands like Amazon to create seamless patient experiences.

 

Rusty Rahmer

CX/Digital Transformation Leader
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In this DHCG Disruptive Dose, Mark Bard of The DHC Group sits down with Rusty Rahmer to discuss pharma’s digital evolution, accelerated post-pandemic. They explore the shift from blockbuster drugs to targeted biopharma and the role of digital in reaching smaller patient populations. Rahmer highlights challenges in executing C-suite transformation goals, accountability gaps among vendors and teams, and the need for integrated marketing, analytics, and technology for real impact.

 

Paul Murasko

Head of Digital Innovation & Marketing Operations, Azurity Pharmaceuticals
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In this Short Take Mark Bard interviewed Paul Murasko, the current Head of Digital Innovation and Marketing Operations at Azurity.  The two discussed what it will mean to be a leader in digital innovation in the pharmaceutical industry in 2025. Murasko emphasized that being a digital pioneer isn’t just about chasing new technologies, but about improving internal processes and getting the basics right before innovating. He also advocated for a test-and-learn culture that rewards both success and failure, rather than setting arbitrary innovation quotas. Paul shared how he plans to apply the concept of “true north” by staying focused on the company’s mission of serving overlooked patients while driving growth through multiple product launches.

 

Dorothy Gemmell

Chief Commercial Officer, GoodRx
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In this Short Take interview with Mark Bard, Dorothy Gemmell, CCO at GoodRx, highlights the evolution of digital healthcare and the importance of improving patient access and affordability. She identifies four major trends in healthcare: virtual care, care at home, consumerism and e-commerce, and AI-driven hyper-personalization. She shares her perspective on the value of partnerships within the industry towards connecting patients, healthcare providers, and pharmaceutical companies to address affordability challenges. Gemmell expresses optimism about the future of healthcare, citing the convergence of digital infrastructure, AI, and platforms enabling virtual care as drivers for accelerated improvements in healthcare outcomes.

 

 

Amar Duggasani

CEO, HealthLink Dimensions
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In this Short Take interview, Mark Bard speaks with Amar Duggasani, CEO of HealthLink Dimensions, about current innovations in healthcare data management and the impact of leveraging advanced technology to realize enhancing communication between healthcare organizations and professionals. Duggasani shares insights into the future of healthcare data solutions and the importance of data accuracy in improving patient care.

Check out HealthLink Dimensions’ 2024 NPs and PAs Communications Report HERE

 

Nandini Nayar

Global Digital Health and Innovation Lead, Sanofi
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Mark Bard, with DHC Group, and Nandini Nayar, Global Digital Health and Innovation Lead, Sanofi, discussed the evolution of patient-centricity, patient experience, and overall digital health trends in the pharmaceutical industry. The conversation also discussed challenges in the clinical trial processes and the potential for innovation in patient access for specialty medications. They also explored the potential for pharmaceutical companies to fund the creation of models and care pathways to improve patient diagnosis and control, and the importance of integrating these tools into physicians’ workflows.
 

Desiree Priestley

Health Experience Officer, Otsuka Precision Health
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Mark Bard, DHC Group, and Desiree Priestley, Otsuka Precision Health, discussed Desiree’s experiences on the commercial side of pharma and the challenges and opportunities in the current and future generations of patient support and customer experience programs. They also explored the evolution of patient experience and support in the pharmaceutical industry, the growth of digital therapeutics, and the importance of direct-to-patient (DTP) and customer experience overall.
 

Shwen Gwee

#GenAI4Pharma
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Mark Bard, with DHC Group, and Shwen Gwee, founder of #GenAI4Pharma, discussed the potential of AI in the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on content generation, startups, intelligent automation, patient support programs, and its impact on the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). They also explored the potential of generative AI to create operational efficiencies across various functions in the industry, including drug development, creative and educational content, and patient support programs. The conversation also discussed the importance of regulatory compliance in the use of generative AI and commercial content and programs.
 
You can learn more about Shwen’s event series here!
There is an upcoming #GenAI4Pharma event scheduled for Dec. 12 at the Insilico Medicine office in Cambridge, MA (1000 Massachusetts Ave)

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