The race, ethnicity, and language Health Equity Action Brief includes an overview of the importance, standards, challenges, and opportunities of these inequities. Additionally, it features examples of how plans are addressing them.
The Health Disparities Advisory Group is focused on developing resources related to data and formulary and utilization management solutions that can close the gap on disparities in medication use. This advisory group is active from March 2022-February 2023.
Congratulations to Zachary Brunko, PharmD candidate at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, for completing AMCP Foundation’s first inaugural internship devoted to addressing health inequities.
AMCP stands against racial and health care injustice. AMCP is committed to 1) mitigating disparities related to optimal medication use, 2) advancing conversations by calling for pertinent submissions to the Journal of Managed Care + Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) and conducting partnership forum(s), 3) incorporating health equity goals into the strategic plan, and 4) supporting impactful education and policy.
To engage in meaningful dialogue and identify concrete actions toward addressing health disparities, it is imperative to have a common language that promotes understanding. To that end, AMCP has compiled a glossary of terms that will be useful for managed care pharmacists, other health care professionals, and stakeholders.
Socioeconomic factors can have a significant impact on a patient’s health status and could be responsible for as much as 70%-80% of a patient’s overall health. These factors, called the social determinants of health (SDoH), define a patient’s day-to-day experiences. While the influence of such factors is well recognized, who ultimately is responsible for addressing SDoH in health care remains unclear. Physicians and other clinicians are suitably placed to assess SDoH factors that can impact clinical decision making. Understanding Medicare Advantage (MA)-contracted primary care provider (PCP) SDoH perceptions has yet to be fully explored.
Partnership Forum: Now more than ever, there is an increased focus on health disparities that occur across a multitude of factors, including socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and race. This forum helped identify potential structural issues within the current formulary and benefit design processes that may have led to racial health disparities or inequality.