August 2024 Diplomat Spotlight - Sarah Hulvershorn
How did you become involved in AMCP?
I first joined AMCP as a student member to learn more about managed care pharmacy and industry happenings. As my career advanced, I volunteered to serve as a Diplomat, as a conference buddy at national meetings, I served on the School of Pharmacy Relations Committee (including chairing the committee from 2022-2023), and more recently have become involved in our local AMCP affiliate. There are so many fantastic opportunities to get engaged with AMCP!
What interested you the most about managed care and ultimately led you to pursue a career in managed care pharmacy?
When I first learned about managed care as a potential career option in pharmacy school, it immediately sparked my curiosity as an interesting application of our skills as pharmacists. I really enjoyed mock P&T committee assignments and my P4 rotation at a local Health Plan/PBM, appreciating the intersection of both clinical and business concepts, evidence-based medicine, and the focus on population health.
What was your first job or position in managed care?
I completed managed care residency and fellowship training at Scott & White Health Plan, which is a regional health plan in Texas. My first role after post-graduate training was serving as a Clinical Advisor within Clinical Account Services at CVS Health, providing clinical pharmacy support to Health Plan clients.
What does a typical day or week look like in your current role?
Every day is different, which is part of the reason I love my role! I’m currently serving as a Clinical Director in Clinical Account Services at CVS Health, supporting Health Plan clients with their clinical needs (including formulary, UM criteria, clinical programs, evaluating plan performance and trend, providing drug and pipeline information, etc). I really enjoy leading a team and developing others. My day-to-day job includes lots of meetings and leveraging my network and experience to solution and provide accurate and timely information in support of our clients. .
What type of interactions have you had with your AMCP student chapter or school of pharmacy?
My involvement with our school’s AMCP student chapter has primarily been to serve as a guest speaker at chapter meetings or to the broader student body as part of pharmacy practice courses, sharing my pathway in managed care pharmacy and the various career opportunities in our industry. I also meet with our student chapter attendees at national AMCP meetings to serve as a mentor.
Words of advice?
Be persistent! With the student chapter leadership regularly turning over, I make sure to reach out at the beginning of each school year to reintroduce myself and offer my support. Before national meetings, I also reach out to ask if any students are attending, to ensure we find time to connect. In my experience, some years have more engaged or motivated student chapter members than others, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get much traction one particular year. Having a real-world professional take the time to share their experience is so valuable for students; you never know when you may be influencing someone’s entire career trajectory!
