AMCP Foundation P&T Competition Marks 20 Years; Winning Teams Develop Formulary Recommendations for Asthma Treatment

Alexandria, Va., May 28, 2020 – AMCP Foundation is pleased to announce that a team of student pharmacists from University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy took top honors in the 20th Annual National Student Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition.

The 2020 competition, organized by AMCP Foundation, attracted 69 schools of pharmacy. Hundreds of teams collaborated to develop the rigor and depth of reasoning involved in formulary management, which ensures millions of patients can get medications they need at costs they can afford. This year’s case study simulated a new indication review for add-on maintenance treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma aged 12 years and older.

The winning teams are:

• First Place: University of California, San Francisco School of Pharmacy (San Francisco, Calif.). Team members: Dat Le, Jimmy Nguyen, Ryan Thaliffdeen, Monica Vuong. Advisor: Marilyn Stebbins, PharmD, Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy.
• Second Place: University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy (Chapel Hill, N.C.). Team members: Ashley Mauch, Benjamin Penley, Jefferson Pike, Thomas Wert. Advisor: Ben Urick, PharmD, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, Center for Medication Optimization, Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education.
• Third Place: Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (Piscataway, N.J.). Team members: Jian Guo, Thomas Hong, Amy Hu, Kevin Pang. Advisors: Saira Jan, PharmD, MS, Clinical Professor, Pharmacy Practice and Administration and Luigi Brunetti, PharmD, BCPS, CGP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration.

Eight national finalist teams were identified and invited to narrate their slides for virtual review by AMCP Foundation judges. All of the finalists deserve a special commendation for adapting to the rapidly evolving environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the schools above, the remaining P&T 2020 national finalist teams hailed from Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Purdue University College of Pharmacy; Temple University School of Pharmacy; and University of California, San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.

“Reaching the 20th anniversary of this prestigious national competition is gratifying, particularly during the very challenging circumstances this year,” says Paula J. Eichenbrenner, MBA, CAE, AMCP Foundation Executive Director. “We witnessed anew the dedication of the faculty, managed care experts and industry leaders who partner with us to train student pharmacists in evidence-based medicine.”

Eight additional institutions were recognized as honorable mention semifinalists. These teams represented: Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Mercer University College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Pharmacy and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.

About P&T Competition
AMCP Foundation is deeply grateful to Genentech, Inc., lead sponsor, as well as Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi US Services, Inc., for generous support of the competition. AMCP Foundation also thanks FormularyDecisions for hosting AMCP eDossiers.

The P&T Competition replicates the process that health care decision makers take in examining a new pharmaceutical product for placement on a formulary. Competition teams examine a dossier in the AMCP Format for Formulary Submissions to evaluate evidence on the study drug as they develop a monograph and presentation for defending their recommendations. The AMCP Foundation thanks Sanofi US Services, Inc., for use of the dossier for DUPIXENT® (dupilumab) injection for this competition. Dupixent is a registered trademark of Sanofi Biotechnology. Teams were asked to consider the use of Dupixent for an additional indication as add-on maintenance treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe asthma aged 12 years and older with an eosinophilic phenotype or with oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma.

About AMCP Foundation
Established in 1990, the 501(c)3 nonprofit AMCP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). It exists to advance collective knowledge and insights on major issues associated with the practice of pharmacy in managed health care settings. By facilitating innovative research initiatives and providing educational opportunities to learn about managed care pharmacy, the AMCP Foundation invests in the future of managed care. Visit www.amcpfoundation.org.