AMCP 2024 to Bring Opportunities for Managed Care Pharmacy Stakeholders to Explore, Address Policy Challenges

Kimberly Westrich, MA | Image credit: National Pharmaceutical Council

The health policy landscape is evolving, presenting new challenges for managed care pharmacy professionals and other health care stakeholders. I look forward to exploring these challenges and ideating potential solutions with a diverse audience of managed care pharmacy stakeholders at this year’s AMCP Annual Conference on April 15-18, 2024.

Here is a brief overview of what I’m looking forward to most at the 2024 AMCP Annual Conference.

First, I look forward to sharing research from the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) and exchanging insights with health care leaders on today’s most pressing policy topics. On April 17, I will join Elisabeth Oehrlein, MS, PhD, and Jessica Daw, PharmD, MBA, in an interactive panel discussion on how the patient experience can be incorporated into managed care settings and pharmaceutical research. Using real-world examples, we will demonstrate how integrating patient experience data (PED) can improve care delivery and outcomes. We will also explore how to collect and utilize PED in various decision-making contexts, including value assessment.

I am also excited to delve into broader discussions about value assessment. AMCP is offering multiple education sessions and poster presentations on health technology assessment methods and the role of value assessment in the US health system. Of note, Eleanor Perfetto, PhD, MS, of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, and Sarah Emond, MPP, of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), will lead an education session on April 16 that includes the examination of frameworks for successful patient engagement in pharmaceutical value assessments.

Additionally, value assessment research I conducted with my former Cencora colleagues will be summarized in 2 poster presentations on April 17:

• “Sourcing value: understanding payer perceptions of value assessment information for formulary decision-making” (U19), 1-2:30 pm CT
• “Beyond value assessment reports. a review of payer perspectives on ICER’s initiatives and tools” (U42), 1-2:30 pm CT

The meeting will also feature sessions and conversations that focus on improving patient access to necessary health care services and medications. The use of copayment accumulator adjustment programs is on the rise, imposing financial burden on patients and undermining meaningful access to needed treatments. New research from NPC analyzed the effects of copayment accumulators on medication adherence and health care utilization and found that medication persistence among patients experiencing copayment accumulators was lower compared with patients with a standard benefit design. To learn more about this research and its findings, check out NPC’s presentations during the moderated benefit design poster tours on April 16 and 17 or the regular poster presentation on April 17, “Accumulator and maximizer impact on medication adherence and health services usage” (U22), 1-2:30 pm CT.

As more cell and gene therapies (CGTs) enter the market, health care decision makers are considering how to promote meaningful patient access to these transformational treatments while maintaining health system sustainability. An education session on April 17 will review the current CGT landscape and provide insights into innovative payer management strategies, including value-based arrangements.

Last, but certainly not least, I look forward to meeting the next generation of health policy experts and managed care professionals. It has never been more important to prepare the next generation of leaders to conduct and communicate research to inform evidence-based health policies. On April 16 at 6 pm CT, NPC is sponsoring a student networking event to provide a forum for young health policy enthusiasts to meet, connect, and engage in thoughtful discourse, and on April 17, NPC is sponsoring the Chapter Leadership Academy Breakfast. I look forward to seeing you there!