Submitted by WSU Applebaum AMCP

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation National Student Pharmacist Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition is an annual team event designed to provide an immersive experience in the skills necessary for effective formulary review and management. P&T Competition teams work together as if they are preparing for - and presenting to - a mock P&T Committee.

In preparation for the National P&T Competition in January 2023, WSU Applebaum AMCP is looking for student pharmacists to represent the university. WSU AMCP is holding a local P&T Competition, where teams will prepare a drug monograph for the study drug Adbry (tralokinumab-ldrm) injection. Adbry is an interleukin-13 antagonist indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adult patients whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable. Adbry can be used with or without topical corticosteroids.

Local competing teams will have the winter break to prepare a written drug monograph evaluating the competition study drug, with recommendations for formulary placement and any associated utilization management strategies. The winning team of the local P&T Competition will then represent WSU Applebaum in the National P&T Competition in January, where they will further develop their monograph with narrated PowerPoint slides for a P&T Committee presentation. The local and national competitions both highlight the importance of research into the clinical, humanistic and pharmacoeconomic evidence supporting the value proposition of the study drug.

"Student pharmacists should join the P&T Competition because of the real-life clinical application experience it provides. Oftentimes, we deal with issues with formularies and prior authorizations as pharmacists with no true understanding of the science behind it," said WSU AMCP Chapter President Jackie Fleury. "In addition to exposing students to a different side of pharmacy, the P&T Competition provides us with the opportunity to gain understanding about the process of introducing newer drugs to the public and providing patient access to potentially better, more cost-effective therapies. This enhances our communication efforts both across disciplines and within our patient populations, ultimately improving patient outcomes."

WSU AMCP President-Elect and P&T Coordinator Brian Globerman added, "Students from all levels of Wayne State's pharmacy program are encouraged to join. Our local P&T committee will form teams of four and provide the necessary resources and information needed to formulate a competitive drug monograph entry. Each competing team will be paired with a managed care pharmacist to help develop their entry. Formulary management is an integrated patient care process that enables health care professionals to work together to promote clinically sound, cost-effective medication therapy and positive therapeutic outcomes. Our chapter looks forward to sending the best team from our program to represent Wayne State in the AMCP National P&T Competition at the end of January 2023."

If you're a student pharmacist who's interested in participating in or learning more about the P&T Competition, sign up by this Friday, Dec. 16!

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New elective exposes student pharmacists to managed care

Managed care pharmacy is a professional pharmacy practice area focused on leading the way to assist patients in attaining the medications they require at an affordable cost. This past fall, a new elective offering focused on managed care was introduced to the WSU Applebaum curriculum.

"The new Managed Care Pharmacy elective is a unique learning experience that brings together the perspectives of many well-versed managed care pharmacists from the local community and beyond," says Dr. Insaf Mohammad, co-coordinator of the course. "It provides for our students the opportunity to explore nontraditional careers, and with six students enrolled for the first offering that started this fall, we are excited more than ever for its growth."

The elective, which will be offered again in Fall 2023, provides an overview of managed care pharmacy and valuable preparation for career opportunities in a variety of practice settings. These include a managed care organization, hospital administration, ambulatory care setting, pharmaceutical industry and community pharmacy management.

"The new managed care elective will cover topics such as prescription drug benefit, formulary management, specialty pharmacy, drug use evaluation, outcomes research and pharmacoeconomics," added WSU Applebaum PharmD program alum Dr. Fadi Manuel, guest lecturer for the course and former WSU AMCP president. "This elective will highlight the key roles that pharmacists can play in managed care pharmacy. There are a variety of opportunities in this field of pharmacy practice and I'm excited that students now have the opportunity to learn about managed care at Wayne State."

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About us

The Doctor of Pharmacy program at Wayne State University is a four-year curriculum in the heart of Detroit. Approximately 100 students are enrolled in each year of the program. WSU Applebaum information meetings for prospective students take place at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. The application process for the Doctor of Pharmacy program begins each July.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels - from undergraduates to veteran faculty members - translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 25,000 students.