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In part two of his Pharmaceutical Commerce interview series, Pleio CEO Michael Oleksiw reframes pharma’s adherence problem as fundamentally human — not logistical. From the industry’s persistent “one-and-done” challenge to the underestimated role of loneliness in early discontinuation, Oleksiw makes the case that lasting behavior change requires meeting patients emotionally before overwhelming them with tools, reminders, or information they aren’t yet ready to act on.
In his Pharma Live byline, Pleio CEO Michael Oleksiw puts empathetic AI to the test starting with a direct question to ChatGPT. The answer cuts to the heart of what the industry needs to hear: AI can simulate empathy, but it can’t feel it. In healthcare, where trust, emotional presence, and human judgment determine whether patients stay on therapy, that distinction isn’t semantic, it’s consequential.
In part one of his two-part Pharmaceutical Commerce interview series, Pleio CEO Michael Oleksiw unpacks the hidden barriers to adherence that legacy patient support programs were never built to detect — and makes the case that AI-powered insights are now giving pharma companies a clearer, faster window into why patients actually stop. With oral GLP-1 therapies reshaping the market, the cost of not knowing is growing.
Michael Oleksiw, CEO of Pleio, discusses the hidden gap in GLP-1 patient support programs and how to boost GLP-1 adherence.
Pleio’s Chief Experience Officer Abby Reynolds, PharmD, joined First Report Managed Care to discuss how emotional readiness shapes outcomes in specialty drug management — and why even clinically appropriate therapies stall when patients aren’t supported before functional demands peak.
Peer-to-patient support can improve specialty medication adherence. A partnership between Pleio and Gentry Health Services shows how connecting patients with trained peer supporters helps address emotional barriers like fear, worry, and loneliness. The result: stronger onboarding, higher prescription fill rates, and more engaged patients.
Pleio’s Chief Pharmacy Officer Mark Gregory, RPh discusses how oral GLP-1 medication will impact the patient medication journey, highlighting how easier access may improve initiation but not necessarily adherence. He explores how fragmented support, knowledge gaps, and emotional barriers can undermine persistence, and why sustained outcomes will depend on coordinated guidance beyond the prescription.
Pleio CEO Michael Oleksiw examines why, despite decades of digital innovation and billions invested, medication adherence remains stuck at 50%. Drawing on analysis of more than 140,000 patient conversations, he explores how the “Underminers” shape patient behavior and why the future of pharma depends on combining AI-driven insight with human connection to create lasting adherence.
Pleio’s AI platform, OLLIE, analyzed over 140,000 patient interactions to identify the top drivers of non-adherence across seven dimensions, including emotion, knowledge, and skills.
On “The Tech Glow Up” live from HLTH 2025, Vital.io and Pleio share how AI can make healthcare more human—from translating medical jargon to uncovering emotional barriers that hinder adherence and patient trust.