Preview of AMCP Annual Meeting 2018
Meeting Preview:
Get ready to be a part of the largest gathering of managed care and specialty pharmacy experts at the AMCP 2018 Annual Meeting. This year’s AMCP spring meeting will take place April 23 to April 26 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
The AMCP 2018 Annual Meeting will assemble thousands of professionals from across the United States to share the latest developments and breakthroughs in the health care and managed markets industries. Attendees will gain valuable, cutting-edge insight through a number of educational session—providing the most up-to-date information on business trends, HEOR research, formulary management, and much more. The conference will also help professionals understand the shifting legislative situation on the state and federal level, and provide tools for navigating the potential policy challenges ahead. Managed care professionals will also be introduced to powerful, practical strategies for targeting better outcomes, reduced costs, and improved patient experience.
The AMCP 2018 Annual Meeting is massive—with numerous sessions, networking events, and educational activities—therefore, First Report Managed Care has curated a preview list of the meeting’s best educational sessions that are the perfect fit for managed care professionals like yourself. Please refer to the final program and meeting website (www.amcpmeetings.org) for a complete list of all sessions, speakers, locations, and other events.
Also, stop by the exhibit hall to get the latest -breaking research during the massive poster sessions covering a myriad of managed care topics.
Education Tracks
The AMCP educational tracks allow professionals, ranging from medical directors to nurses, to customize their meeting experience. Attendees can easily use the color-coded sessions to navigate the meeting tracks to get the most pertinent data and insight.
The education sessions are categorized in six targeted program tracks:
• Business Trends and the Quest for Value
This track focuses on the current trends in the industry that impact payers, patients, and physicians. With contracting shifting more toward value-based incentivizing, professionals need help navigating the intricacies of innovative contracting models. Session topics include working with PBMs, oncology spending, and more.
• Succeeding in Specialty Management
Rapid developments in the specialty pharmaceuticals space can leave health systems and payers behind. These sessions will update professionals on the pipeline developments that could have significant impact on budgets.
•Practical Research that Identifies and Illuminates
Late-breaking research can elevate managed care practices to the next level. These sessions will include topics on health economics, formulary decision making, and using patient data. These sessions boil down the most important and noteworthy new findings in health economics and outcomes research, patient-reported outcomes, and other topics.
• Spotlight on Formulary Management
Understanding the latest developments in chronic disease management and complex patient populations is crucial to keeping costs down. This track will give professionals insight on rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, Alzheimer disease, and more.
•Keeping Up With Legislative and Regulatory Matters
Federal and state laws are currently targeting the dissension of opioids in order to combat the nation’s misuse epidemic. Experts will discuss prescription drug monitoring programs, integrated health solutions, and more.
•Perspectives in Managed Care Pharmacy
This educational track will tackle the unique issues affecting managed care professionals every day. Topics in this track will explore the value of motivational interviewing, brand management, and more.
HIGHLIGHTED SESSIONS
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
•8:15 am-9:30 am
Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Development
The staple pipeline session of every AMCP meeting is Aimee Tharaldson’s breakdown of the most up-to-date developments in the immediate future of specialty pharmacy. Dr Tharaldson, senior clinical consultant of emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts, will discuss how recent approvals are impacting spending and will outline which drugs to keep an eye on in the coming months.
•9:50 am-11:05 am
Real-World Experience Managing Orphan Drugs Across Pharmacy and Medical Benefits
Sara Carruth Erickson, PharmD, of MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Susan Trieu, PharmD, of MedImpact Healthcare Systems, and Ann Naughton, RPh MBA, director of Pharmacy Management at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, will discuss the recently approved orphan drugs that could significantly impact budgets. Speakers will go over management of Duchene muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy and Huntington’s disease.
• 12:45 pm-2:00 pm
A Health Economics Approach to Value Assessment: ISPOR Special Task Force Recommendations and Implications for Coverage Decisions
Managed care experts Lou Garrison, PhD, Peter Neumann, ScD, and Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH, will outline how a recent meeting of the International Society For Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research’s special task force developed comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for applying value frameworks to health care decision making. Their presentation will give the audience a look a the recommendations for providing accurate decision making using value frameworks.
• 2:30 pm-3:45 pm
Tackling the Opioid Epidemic and Addiction Treatment: A Managed Care Approach
The pharmacy benefit management has become increasingly competitive in the wake of recent mergers, partnerships, and innovative health care deals by huge corporations. This session will give attendees insight into the value and best practices for PBM procurements, effective contracting methods for health plans, and considerations for “vendoring out” PBM services.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
•8:30 am-9:45 am
Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis: Potential Implications to Formulary Decision-Making
Understanding multiple criteria decision-making analysis can be very useful and cost-savings; however, it is only widely used abroad. Presenters will break down how multiple criteria decision-making analysis can be effectively used domestically by giving the audience a look at successful examples. They will also compare multiple criteria decision-making analysis to other decision-making processes used by health plans in the United States.
•3:15 pm-4:15 pm
Leveraging Technology for Patient-Level Formulary & Benefit Information at the Point of Care
Kimberly Hansen, director, UHN Operations at UnitedHealthcare, will present the latest industry data on using point of care patient interventions to reduce costs. This session will outline how new technology solutions can connect patients with the formulary and benefits data they need at the point of care. Attendees will gain insight into how this valuable intervention can improve adherence and avoid unnecessary costs.
•4:30 pm-5:45 pm
From Europe to the US: The Challenge and Potential of Gene Therapies
Alex Grosvenor and Jeremy Schafer, PharmD, MBA, both of Precision for Value, will examine how recently approved gene therapies have fared on the European market and use those outcomes to forecast how gene therapies could potentially impact the United States market. This session will also address a huge question in the payer sphere right now: How will we pay for gene therapy? Attendees will get a look at strategies to make gene therapies accessible but manageable in the United States.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
• 8:00 am-9:15 am
Medicare Part D Call Letter Update
Melissa Andel, MPP, Director of Health Policy at Applied Policy, will outline the many ways that the recently released 2019 Medicare Part D Call Letter will impact managed care professionals. The new letter includes major changes to the Star Ratings, medication therapy management, opioid management, and formulary reference file. This is a must-attend session for anyone looking to catch up on next year’s Part D plan changes.
• 11:15 am-12:30 pm
A Biosimilars Update: Regulation and Legislation
Interchangeability and substitution laws are finally starting to impact how biosimilars are dispensed throughout the Unites States. This session will break down state level legislation in order to give attendees a better understanding of how biosimilar laws differ across the country. Edward Li, PharmD, MPH, BCOP, Professor at the University of New England College of Pharmacy, will also give attendees a look at the expected changes on the horizon for biosimilar approval, prescribing, and interchangeability.
Marketplace Trends
On Wednesday April 25, 2018, Douglas Long, BS, MBA, Vice President of Industry Relations at IQVIA, will give his annual Pharmaceutical Marketplace Trends update. Mr Long is known for his insight into how the changing landscape ahead will take shape for pharmaceuticals. As vice president at IQVIA (formerly QuintilesIMS), Mr Long has access to the most cutting edge pharmacy data.
In order to remain competitive in the continuously changing world of managed care, it is crucial to keep up-to-date with the latest industry trends and developments. This information can be used to shape how managed care professionals manage pharmacy benefits, population health management, and much more.
Mr Long will provide attendees with a comprehensive analysis of the current pharmaceutical marketplace, and give predictions on what will likely happen next based on data from IQVIA. His presentation will include a breakdown of drug products by category, importance to the industry, and disease state. Mr Long will also break down which brand name, generics, specialty drugs, and biosimilars managed care professionals should keep an eye on.
During this headline session, Mr Long will also update attendees on the largest factors impacting drug pricing right now. He will conclude by giving insight into the major developments that could influence the US pharmaceuticals market and managed care market throughout the rest of 2018.
