AMCP Returns to Nashville Roots for 2026 Meeting

Amid the bright lights and sounds of country music on Broadway, health care professionals will convene in Nashville, Tennessee, next week for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2026 meeting to discuss key topics in the field.

Susan Cantrell, CEO of AMCP, explained in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®) that the organization is returning to its roots, as its first-ever meeting of members was held in Nashville in 1989, a year after its founding.¹

“There were 40 people at the meeting,” she said. “…fast-forwarding to 2026, we’re expecting close to 4000 health care professionals to be there.”

Attendees include individuals from health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, biopharmaceutical companies, consultants, and other professionals working in the managed care space.²

Programming begins Monday, April 13, with the second annual preconference program, “Keeping the Human in AI [Artificial Intelligence]: Smarter Decisions in Managed Care Pharmacy.”³ Since last year’s AI preconference, which drew 200 attendees, AI has been further adopted across the health care industry. As a result, managed care professionals must confront its value and risks, as well as determine where human judgment is necessary.

Building on last year’s success, the 6-hour preconference program will bring together leaders in the field to explore real-world applications of AI and how it is shaping decision-making, operations, and patient impact across managed care. It will feature keynote perspectives, moderated panels, and interactive discussions on topics spanning operational efficiency, evidence generation, the evolving regulatory landscape, and member and patient engagement. The goal is for attendees to leave with a deeper understanding of what AI means for managed care today and in the years ahead.

From April 14 to 16, the main AMCP 2026 meeting will feature more than 30 educational sessions and over 400 poster presentations on a range of key topics.² It will open with the general session, “Hope Through History: How to Survive Turbulent Times,” featuring Jon Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize–winning author who serves as the Canon Historian at the Washington National Cathedral.⁴

Cantrell noted that AMCP organized its programming into tracks to make it easier for attendees to map out their agendas.¹ These include Drugs, Diseases, and the Managed Care Impact; Focus on Managed Care Pharmacy; Legislative and Regulatory Trends; Making the Way for Innovation; Managed Care Fundamentals; and Real-World Evidence and Research Translation.⁵

The meeting will also feature 3 keynote sessions. One, “2025-2026 Health Care and Pharmaceutical Marketplace Trends,” will help open the second day, taking place Wednesday, April 15, from 8:30 to 9:45 AM. The other 2, titled “Unpacking the Data: The Application and Interpretation of Real-World Evidence in GLP-1 Obesity Treatment” and “Emerging Specialty Pharmaceuticals: Current Development Landscape and Why It Matters,” will serve as the final 2 sessions on Thursday, April 16, before the meeting adjourns.

Poster presentations will take place throughout the meeting in the Expo Hall, where attendees can hear directly from abstract authors.² For those seeking a more structured experience, AMCP will offer moderated poster tours focused on topics including glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists and medication access.

Beyond posters, the Expo Hall will also feature more than 75 exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations and products to help improve patient outcomes and advance job performance. In addition, it will include the headshot, wellness, and “dog bark” lounges for attendees looking to take a break.

“There’s a lot in store for pretty much anyone interested in improving patient access and affordability to medicines,” Cantrell concluded.¹

References

1. McCormick B, Cantrell S. Managed care experts return to Music City for AMCP 2026: Susan Cantrell. AJMC. April 9, 2026. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/shorts/managed-care-experts-return-to-music-city-for-amcp-2026-susan-cantrell
2. About AMCP 2026. AMCP. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://amcpannual.org/about-amcp-2026
3. AI pre-conference program. AMCP. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://amcpannual.org/agenda-program/preconference-program
4. Hope Through History: How to Survive Turbulent Times. AMCP. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://amcpannual.org/program/general-session
5. Educational tracks. AMCP. Accessed April 10, 2026. https://amcpannual2026.eventscribe.net/SearchByBucket.asp?f=TrackName&pfp=SessionsTracks