September 2023 Diplomat Spotlight - Brian Ung, PharmD

How did you become involved in AMCP?

I initially got involved with AMCP as a student, attending my local chapter GBM after being promised free food. I was drawn to this area of pharmacy I knew little about and although it was initially frustrating and confusing, the P&T competition sparked my interest in managed care pharmacy. To further spread awareness about managed care pharmacy, I became a chapter President and served a year on the national student pharmacist committee.

What interested you the most about managed care and ultimately led you to pursue a career in managed care pharmacy?

Completing an AMCP/Pfizer internship at SelectHealth forever changed the trajectory of my career. Getting exposure to formulary development, P&T discussions, clinical reviews, and program evaluations allowed me to understand the multitude of ways managed care impacted population health. The ability to utilize data to increase our understanding of healthcare interventions and assess patient outcomes further solidified my decision to go down this career path.

What was your first job or position in managed care?

After pharmacy school I entered a post-doctoral fellowship program with Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships (RPIF) and Celgene, focusing on health economics & outcomes research (HEOR). It was important for me to obtain HEOR training as I saw how HEOR data played a role in the decision-making process for managed care pharmacists involved with formulary management and outcomes-based contracts.

What does a typical day or week look like in your current role?

I recently transitioned from a field based HEOR role at a large pharmaceutical company where I was primarily communicating clinical and economic evidence to managed care pharmacists at health plans and integrated delivery networks, to an internal facing HEOR role at a small biotech.

Currently, I am responsible for designing and executing studies that will demonstrate the value of our products for patients and the healthcare system, as well as developing the strategy for obtaining approval and reimbursement in countries around the world. My work week consists of meeting with internal partners (i.e., Medical, Marketing, and Field) to align strategy and projects as well as external partners to discuss the capabilities of databases and innovative research methodologies. I work remotely but on occasion I do travel to our company HQ or to industry related conferences (i.e., AMCP, ISPOR, disease specific congresses).

What type of interactions have you had with your AMCP student chapter or school of pharmacy?

As a Diplomat, I have been a guest speaker at my AMCP student chapter meetings, served as a judge in the local P&T competition, provided Introduction to Managed Care Pharmacy/HEOR lectures, and acted as a mentor to several pharmacy students, often connecting them with other managed care and industry pharmacists.

Words of advice?

Keep learning and be curious! Healthcare is rapidly evolving and the opportunities for pharmacists are there if you are willing to think outside of the box. Spend a few minutes each day reading (AMCP daily dose!) about current healthcare (i.e., Inflation Reduction Act) and healthcare adjacent (i.e., ChatGPT, Blockchain technology) topics.