AMCP Foundation Announces Recipients of 2018 National Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition

Alexandria, Va., April 27, 2018 — The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation is pleased to announce winners of its 18th Annual National Student Pharmacist Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition. The awards were presented April 26 at the AMCP Foundation Awards Ceremony, held during the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.

The 2018 winning teams are: 

• First Place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Team advisor was Ben Urick, PharmD, PhD, research assistant professor. The first place team’s school receives a $4,000 scholarship. 
• Second Place: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. Team advisors were Christine Rash-Foanio, PharmD, clinical assistant professor, and Margaret Byun, PharmD, MS, clinical assistant professor. The second place team receives a $3,000 scholarship. 
• Third Place: The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Team advisor was Armando Silva Almodovar, PharmD, postdoctoral researcher. The third place team receives a $2,000 scholarship. 

“Our heartfelt congratulations go out to the bright student pharmacists who competed in this prestigious and challenging competition,” said Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE, AMCP Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the AMCP Foundation Board of Trustees. “The P&T Competition presents a real-word experience for individuals who are considering careers in managed care pharmacy. These winners are truly the best of the best.”

The P&T Competition provides a firsthand experience into the complex practice of managing the formulary process. This year, 60 AMCP Student Pharmacist Chapters nationwide participated, from which sixteen teams were selected for the semifinals. Eight teams were then selected for the live national finals, which took place April 24 at the AMCP Annual Meeting.

“The number of competing schools and colleges of pharmacy increases each year, which bodes well for the future of managed care pharmacy,” said Paula J. Eichenbrenner, CAE, Executive Director of the AMCP Foundation. “Thank you to the faculty, chapter leaders, competitors and judges for the remarkable thoughtfulness and intelligence you bring to the Competition.”

The teams of four worked through a case study using a product dossier in the AMCP Format for Formulary Submissions. This year’s competition drug was Xultophy® 100/3.6 (insulin degludec and liraglutide), manufactured by Novo Nordisk, Inc. Using available evidence, the teams evaluated the product and presented their recommendations for formulary status and coverage criteria to a panel of judges representing a P&T committee. 

The 2018 national finalists: The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy; University of California San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy; University of Michigan College of Pharmacy; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy; University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; University of Utah College of Pharmacy; and the University of Wisconsin—Madison School of Pharmacy.

The P&T Competition is supported by Genentech, Inc., Amgen, Inc.; Supernus Pharmaceuticals; Dymaxium; and AMCP eDossier. 

For more information on the AMCP Foundation, please visit www.amcpfoundation.org.