Rachel Thorpe

Executive Director at Otsuka Patient Assistance Foundation, Inc.

Speaker

Rachel E. Thorpe, MBA is a visionary healthcare executive and nationally recognized leader in U.S. patient support and access services. With more than a decade of experience spanning patient assistance, reimbursement strategy, field access, and specialty distribution, she has built and scaled patient-centric programs that remove barriers to care, accelerate time to treatment, and deliver measurable outcomes across rare, specialty, and chronic therapeutic areas.

Currently serving as Executive Director of the Otsuka Patient Assistance Foundation (OPAF) and Director at Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals, Rachel leads the strategy and day-to-day operations of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting uninsured and underinsured patients. Reporting to an external Board of Directors, she oversees hub services, pharmacy operations, and multimillion-dollar budgets while maintaining full P&L accountability. Under her leadership, OPAF evolved from a traditional free-goods model into a comprehensive wellness initiative, expanding access through generic medications, essential vitamins, and social-determinants-of-health support alongside branded therapies.

Throughout her career at Otsuka, Rachel has been instrumental in designing end-to-end patient support ecosystems. She has led large, cross-functional teams and vendor partners, optimized national pharmacy networks, integrated digital patient journeys, and authored foundational SOPs, compliance protocols, and educational materials aligned with CMS, HHS, and ACA requirements. Her work has consistently strengthened operational efficiency, regulatory alignment, and the overall patient and provider experience.

A respected thought leader, Rachel has delivered national presentations on Patient Assistance Programs, authored industry opinion articles, and contributed to initiatives that advanced patient access and policy dialogue. Her leadership and impact have been recognized with multiple merit-based awards, including monetary performance honors in 2022, 2024, and 2025.

Rachel holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a BS in Biology from San Diego State University. She is known for her strategic vision, patient advocacy, and ability to translate complex access challenges into sustainable, high-impact solutions.