AMCP: The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy

The creation and implementation of a new quality measure is a long process that includes considering other measures on the market, actually developing the measure and, ultimately, testing its scientific acceptability, explained Matthew Pickering, PharmD, RPh, associate director of research and quality strategies at the Pharmacy Quality Alliance.

In a session covering the future of the business of healthcare in the United States, Kevin Grabenstatter, managing director for L.E.K. Consulting, asserted that healthcare is an unsustainably big business, which means that change is coming.

There is a trend of making value-based deals to pay for treatments in order to ensure the drug works as advertised while also protecting payers from financial risk, explained Richard J. Willke, PhD, chief science officer of ISPOR.

Liz Zhou, MD, director of evidence-based medicine at Sanofi Medical Affairs outlined the purpose of a study on real-world results of comparing basal insulin dose changes in type 2 diabetes patients using Lantus who either stay on Lantus or switch to Toujeo.

Value frameworks are one tool that can be used to inform the formulary decision-making process, but transparency in the development of these frameworks is important, said Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE, CEO of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP).

The move away from fee-for-service has driven some health plans to embrace value-based care contracts and accountable care organizations. During a session at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Annual Meeting, held March 27-30, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, panelists outlined how the marketplace has evolved.

The first drug to treat primary progressive multiple sclerosis and a new drug approved for atopic dermatitis are the 2017 approvals most exciting to Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, of Express Scripts.

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Annual Meeting kicked off on March 28, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, with a look at the specialty pharmaceutical pipeline with Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant for emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts.

Researchers set out to analyze the clinical outcomes in a real-world clinical setting of patients with T2D who switched to Toujeo from another basal insulin.

At the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting, Jenny Sung, PharmD, MS, MBA, associate vice president of evidence-based medicine research at Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, discussed a poster being presented on the safety, efficacy, and economic benefit of Toujeo.

Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant of emerging therapies at Express Scripts, outlined the 2 pipeline drugs she is keeping a close eye on in 2016: both are breakthrough therapies and one could have a significant impact on the market.

The current reactive healthcare system is driving digital health innovations, Yoona Kim, PharmD, PhD, head of clinical modeling and analytics with Proteus Digital Health, said at the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016.

Prescription drug abuse is an epidemic in the US and a chronic brain disease, but it is not treated the way other chronic conditions are, said Kelly J. Clark, MD, MBA, president elect of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

The drug abuse epidemic in the US has placed attention on opioids and panelists during a session at the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016 discussed the current state of treatment for opioid addiction and future changes that may be on the way.

As healthcare moves to value-based arrangements and delivery models like accountable care organizations (ACOs), the benefit of incorporating a pharmacist can be overlooked. Tina Joseph, PharmD, BCACP, and Reena Jones, PharmD, CPh, both from Nova Southeastern University, outlined how pharmacists can be integrated into ACOs in order to improve care and patient satisfaction, while reducing cost.

AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016 kicked off by delving into the near-term specialty pharmaceutical pipeline with Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant of emerging therapies at Express Scripts.

With the high cost of medications, pharmacoeconomic analysis to determine the additional benefit being derived from additional cost is important, explained Renee JG Arnold, PharmD, RPh, practice lead for health economics and outcomes research at Quorum Consulting, Inc.

Working closely with oncologists on value assessment frameworks can save money for the healthcare system while guaranteeing great outcomes for patients, Steve Miller, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Express Scripts, said during a pre-meeting session of AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016.

Steven D. Pearson, MD, president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, discussed the specialty conditions that are having the biggest impact on overall healthcare expenditures and pharmaceutical spending.

The FDA recently approved the biosimilar infliximab and found that from an immunogenicity profile it was more or less similar, which is important for payers and providers, explained Jeremy Schafer, PharmD, MBA, vice president and director of specialty solutions at Precision For Value.

With patients increasingly demanding more of anyone involved in their healthcare, technology is playing an important role, explained panelists at a session of Specialty Pharmacy Connect, a pre-meeting program held ahead of the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016.

The specialty pharmacy industry is unique in many ways, but the price growth for these drugs is no longer sustainable, Steve Miller, MD, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Express Scripts, said during a pre-meeting session of AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting 2016.

During the session on "Federal and State Legislative and Regulatory Updates" at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo, there was talk of the ongoing initiatives being proposed by CMS, explained Debbie Meyer, RPh, resident program director, student pharmacists, career programs, Humana, Inc, who moderated the session.

The Patient‑Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) takes 2 different approaches to conduct research and gather evidence to help patients make decisions, Joe V. Selby, MD, MPH, executive director of PCORI, said at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo.

Although Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States, it had the fourth highest healthcare spend, which meant the state was spending "way too much" on healthcare, according to Beth Hebert-Silvia, RPh, managing director and assistant vice president of pharmacy at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI).

Although there is a lot of promise for comparative effectiveness research as a tool to help healthcare providers, policy makers, and patients make better decisions, there are a number of issues to be resolved, according to speakers at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo.

In a session at AMCP's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo that was so popular that attendees were being directed to an overflow room, Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant in emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts, highlighted specialty pharmaceuticals that are currently in development and expected to come to the market in the next few years.

Orphan medications are gaining a lot of focus from manufacturers, Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, senior clinical consultant for emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts, said at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego, April 7-10.

Pathways, particularly in oncology, have been gaining a lot more attention lately as payers are looking to bundle payments, Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD, chief science officer and executive vice president of the National Pharmaceutical Council, explained at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego, April 7-10.

Pharmaceutical pricing is opaque for a reason and increased transparency may not be a benefit, said the speakers during the "Drug Pricing: Manufacturer, Payer, Prescriber, and Patient Perspectives" session at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego, April 7-10.