AMCP Foundation, Purdue College of Pharmacy Collaborate on Study Analyzing Curricular Preparation for P&T Competition

Alexandria, Va., May 23, 2016 — Interpretation of biomedical statistics and principles of evidence-based medicine are the top two general curriculum subjects that best prepare student pharmacists for the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation Annual Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Competition, finds a new research survey of institutions that host AMCP student pharmacist chapters.

According to the survey, approximately 45% of faculty reported delivering academic preparation necessary for the P&T Competition within their general curriculum, while 34% reported offering elective course work specifically dedicated to the competition.

Findings of the “National Survey of Student Chapter Preparation for the AMCP Foundation Annual P&T Competition” were presented by PharmD candidate Chia-Chi Judy Hsu last month at the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting in San Francisco. The study was conducted by the AMCP Foundation and Purdue College of Pharmacy with additional collaborators Amy Heck Sheehan, PharmD; Paula J. Eichenbrenner, CAE; and Ashley Lanham, PharmD, MBA.

The survey also found that AMCP Foundation webinars and official competition guidelines were the most useful and valuable resources for preparation. “Opportunity exists to provide additional resources and materials to AMCP student chapters, as well as to enhance the educational success of P&T Competition and improve preparation of managed care pharmacists of the future,” the authors concluded. 

“This joint project quantified the extent to which managed care is incorporated in pharmacy curricula across the country, and assessed the frequency of P&T-focused electives,” said Eichenbrenner, Executive Director of the AMCP Foundation. “This research collaboration also identified common traits of successful P&T teams, so that we can expand this popular program while refining efforts to prepare student pharmacists for the competition.”

Participation in the annual P&T Competition continues to grow, with 43 AMCP chapters participating in the 2015-16 competition, up from 40 in the 2014-15 competition. The P&T Competition allows student pharmacists to analyze, research and evaluate a pharmaceutical dossier, and recommend its therapy or formulary placement. It also provides students with exposure to the AMCP Format for Formulary Submissions. Eight finalist teams are selected to compete at the AMCP Annual Meeting and are awarded a $4,000 stipend. The top three teams are determined after live presentations, and their chapters are awarded $4,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. 

The survey was administered by Purdue College of Pharmacy to faculty advisors of AMCP student pharmacist chapters with experience in the 2015 or 2016 P&T Competitions. This survey closed with a 61% institutional response rate. Six members of the Foundation Board of Trustees and the AMCP Schools of Pharmacy Relations Committee assisted by reviewing the abstract and survey materials. 

About the AMCP Foundation 
Established in 1990, the 501(c)3 nonprofit AMCP Foundation 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. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). For more information on the AMCP Foundation, please visit www.amcpfoundation.org.

About the Purdue College of Pharmacy 
The Purdue College of Pharmacy, established in 1884, is consistently ranked among the nation's top pharmacy programs. Purdue's pharmacy program is ranked first nationally by Pharmacy Technician Review and StartClass.com, third by Academic Analytics and ninth in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. In addition to 600 Pharm. D. students, the pharmacy program has approximately 600 undergraduates and 120 graduate students. The college’s 85-member faculty includes pharmaceutical researchers engaged in groundbreaking drug discovery and development programs, and educators whose educational materials are used in pharmacy programs around the world. The College is home to the Center for Medication Safety Advancement and the Center for Pharmaceutical Processing Research. It is the only pharmacy program in the nation with faculty sited abroad and the only program to offer global health and veterinary clinical pharmacy post-graduate residencies. For more information, visit www.pharmacy.purdue.edu.