AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Meeting Preview

The upcoming AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting (April 19-22 at Moscone West in San Francisco, California) will bring together thousands of managed care professionals from pharmacists to formulary decision-makers to industry leaders. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on the latest innovations and important clinical, government, and business issues facing the industry. Educational sessions will provide attendees the latest findings in managed care pharmacy, best practices, and how recent regulatory and legislative activities will impact their profession.

To help prepare attendees, First Report Managed Care provides a brief overview of the meeting as well as highlights of educational sessions. Please refer to the final program and meeting website (www.amcpmeetings.org) for a complete list of sessions, speakers and locations, Science and Innovation Theaters, and other events taking place.

AMCP General Session

The keynote speaker for this year’s meeting is Jim Craig—an Olympic gold medalist who competed as a goalie for the US 1980 Olympic hockey team. The team’s road to the Olympics and the inspiring win was depicted in the movie Miracles. 

Following the Olympics, Craig had a career with the National Hockey League, also as a goalie, for several teams before pursuing a marketing and sales career. For more than 30 years, he has inspired, instructed, and provided strategic direction for employees and associates from various organizations. 

A main focus of his motivational talks is teaching and describing how individuals and organizations can enlist and employ the winning tactics and strategies of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team to enhance outcome and performance of their own organizations.

Pre-meeting Programs

•    AMCP Corporate Training Program: Health Care…What’s Next?

•    Comparative Effectiveness Research Certificate Program

Education Tracks

The education sessions are categorized in 6 targeted program tracks:

1) Business Trends in Managed Care

A look at what industry and marketplace
factors are impacting the practice of managed care pharmacy.

2) Current Affairs in Specialty Pharmacy Management

Advances and new options in specialty medicine, such as managing drug spend and utilization, will be discussed.

3) Research and Its Practical Applications

How managed care research is being used in daily and long-term decision-making.

4) Spotlight on Formulary Management

A showcase of the best practices and problems tackled and solved in formulary management.

5) Staying on Course with Legislative and Regulatory Issues

Updates on federal and state legislation and its impact on the pharmacy profession will be discussed.

6) The Landscape of Contemporary Managed Care Pharmacy

A look at a variety of topics within the managed care arena such as controversies and notable developments.

The following are highlights from some of the educational sessions offered at the meeting:

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

•    8:45 AM-10:00 AM
Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Development 

The trend over the last several years has shown that US FDA approvals of specialty drugs have far outpaced those of traditional drugs. One question on stakeholders’ minds is “How will these specialty medications affect the dynamic health care landscape and managed care pharmacy?” During the session, faculty will focus on the pipeline of new and emerging therapies in this drug class and look at their role in therapy. Faculty will also discuss the potential impact of these agents on managed care markets.

•    10:30 AM-11:45 AM
Prescriptions for Success: Pharmacists in ACOs 

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have emerged as a model of care to encourage health care providers to voluntarily band together to improve quality and reduce costs. However, one aspect of patient care that is underutilized by ACOs is medication management; pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help with medication reconciliation and improve health outcomes. During this session, faculty will offer a perspective on integrating pharmacists into patient care teams in the ACO model. 

•    12:45 PM -2:00 PM
DIMENSIONS of Managing Specialty Drugs in Current and Evolving Payment Models

Spending on specialty drugs represents an increasing share of US prescription drug spending and is growing at a rapid and unsustainable rate. In 2014, almost one-third of the overall drug spend in the United States was spent on specialty drugs. Scrutiny of drug costs for these complex new therapies continues to increase as providers participating in alternative payment models (APMs) look for strategies to manage cost while improving outcomes. During this session, faculty will provide an overview on current and emerging models around specialty drug management in APMs (eg, ACOs, bundled payment initiatives), the impact of incentives on care delivery, and strategies to manage cost.

•    2:30 PM-3:45 PM
Oncology Value Tools—Are We Ready to Assess Value of Cancer Care?  

Treating and managing cancer continues to be a challenge for patients, providers, payers, and policymakers as they find new ways of balancing clinical benefits, toxicity, and soaring costs of cancer therapies. Two organizations—the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network—recently released tools to help define the value of cancer drugs based on evidence. During the session, faculty will provide an in-depth overview of these 2 models, including strengths and limitations of each tool, and how a managed care organization can use these tools in the formulary review process.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

•    8:30 AM -9:45 AM
Design and Outcomes of Pharmacy Pay-for-Performance Programs

Stakeholders are developing engagement programs with mutually aligned incentives. Often, these programs focus on improving prescription-based measures such as pay-for-performance incentives. Faculty will offer different perspectives on developing and implementing pay-for-performance incentives, as well as other engagement strategies.

•    10:15 AM -11:30 AM
AMCP Headline Session: “Marketplace Trends” 

Staying competitive in the evolving managed care arena requires keeping abreast of trends and forecasts. During this session, faculty will provide a timely analysis of the pharmaceutical market and offer predictions about what lies ahead in the coming year. Discussion topics will include industry segments that are growing and declining and key considerations regarding brand, generic, and specialty drugs, and pharmacy providers.

•    8:30 PM -12:00 AM 

    The AMCP Foundation Casino Night

Held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, the AMCP Foundation Casino Night brings together attendees for fun and entertainment—all for a good cause! A donation of $75 per person gets you game chips, drinks,
hors d’oeuvres, and a raffle ticket for the chance to win prizes. Donations go to support the AMCP Foundation’s research and education goals.

Friday April 22, 2016

•    8:00 AM-9:15 AM
Today’s Medicaid Program

         Medicaid is the largest single health insurer in the United States. This complex program has federal rules but is managed at the state level. The Medicaid program has evolved over the last 50 years and more changes are expected in the near future, including to pharmacy reimbursement and 340B expansion. During this session, faculty will look at the current Medicaid landscape with a focus on trends such as prior authorizations and 340B issues.

Satellite Symposia

In addition to educational sessions, satellite symposia will also be available. These noncommercial industry-supported satellite symposia will discuss a variety of issues impacting the industry revolving around multiple myeloma, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. 

Specialty Pharmacy Connect

Before the AMCP meeting gets underway, a pre-meeting on April 19—Specialty Pharmacy Connect program—looks at the future of specialty pharmacy. Keynote speaker Joan Lunden, former co-anchor of Good Morning America, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and breast cancer survivor, will open the meeting with a patient perspective. 

In June 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and underwent an aggressive 9-month treatment regimen involving chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. She took her cancer battle public and used her diagnosis as an opportunity to help others in the breast cancer community.

 Her most recent book Had I Known: A Memoir of Survival documents her battle with cancer as well as takes a reflective look back on her life and career.

Following the keynote address, 3 sessions will focus on the evolving landscape of specialty pharmacy:

1) 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
How Do We Shape the Future of Pharmacy?

Stakeholders in the specialty pharmacy sector will highlight the opportunities and challenges around specialty pharmacy in the next 3 to 5 years. They will also share insights regarding the impact on the health care marketplace health care marketplace at it moves from volume-based care to value-based care.

2) 3:30 PM-4:30 PM
Technology-Supported Medicine and Its Impact on Specialty Pharmacy

Technology-supported medicine is an emerging area that is projected to have an impact on specialty pharmacy in the next few years. Faculty will provide an overview of this new era of medicine and the roles that stakeholders play along the continuum. 

3) 4:30 PM -5:30 PM
Strategies to Maximize Patient Outcomes and Affordability for Rare and Specialty Conditions

        
The growing pipeline of specialty drugs, advances in personalized medicine, and growth of companion diagnostics will continue to be key drivers in managing specialty pharmacy. Faculty will identify which rare and specialty conditions will have the greatest impact on health care expenditures in the next 3 years. They will also highlight programs and practices that can be implemented to manage drug spend more effectively.—Eileen Koutnik-Fotopoulos