AMCP 2026 Highlights: Managed Care Trends in Oncology, Policy, and Innovation

The 2026 Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting, held in Nashville from April 13 to 16, covered numerous topics ranging from precision medicine and novel therapies to evolving clinical pathways in oncology.

The American Journal of Managed Care^® engaged with a wide range of key opinion leaders attending the meeting, each offering insights into specific areas within managed care pharmacy. For example, Abby Kim, PharmD, senior director of clinical strategy and oncology specialty solutions at Prime Therapeutics, discussed the real-world implications of integrating advanced oncology testing strategies into clinical workflows to improve patient outcomes.

Similarly, Ben Urick, PharmD, PhD, senior director of health outcomes at Prime Therapeutics, highlighted how real-world utilization of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists is driving health care costs and reshaping decision-making for both payers and patients.

Timothy O’Shea, MS, PharmD, director of specialty pharmacy at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, addressed the evolving role of accelerated approval pathways in oncology, weighing their benefits in expediting access against concerns around clinical uncertainty.

These perspectives represent only a fraction of the broader discussions at AMCP 2026. Sessions also explored integrated care strategies for metabolic disease, more efficient oncology management approaches, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in optimizing clinical and operational workflows. In addition, conversations around health policy emphasized how regulatory changes may influence access, affordability, and innovation in the years ahead.

Taken together, the meeting underscored a central theme: managed care continues to evolve at the intersection of innovation, cost containment, and patient-centered care, requiring collaboration across stakeholders to translate advances into meaningful real-world impact.