University of Southern California School of Pharmacy Receives First Place from AMCP Foundation in 2021 National P&T Competition

Alexandria, Va., April 29, 2021 — The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation and its partners announced the top schools and colleges of pharmacy in its 21st Annual National Student Pharmacist P&T Competition at the conclusion of AMCP 2021. The competition convened student pharmacists from around the country to develop a formulary drug monograph and discuss how managed care pharmacy tools could be used to encourage adherence to evidence-based guidelines.

The 2021 recipients are:  

• First Place: University of Southern California School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, Calif., represented by Marvin Nguyen, Ming Yan Lisa Leung, Ronald Deng, and Xavier Faraj. They were advised by Vinson Lee, PharmD, MS, and Edward Lieskovan, PharmD, MBA.  
• Second Place: Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Detroit, Mich., represented by Fadi Manuel, Hussein Safoui, Rachel Christensen, and Shivan Patel. They were advised by Stacey Repotski, PharmD, Zack Mueller, PharmD, and Vic Nguyen, PharmD, MBA, MS.  
• Third Place: University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, Mich., represented by Andrea Van Waardhuizen, Katelyn Meyer, Cortney Cathey, and Kavya Sundar. They were advised by Steve Erickson, PharmD.  

The P&T Competition provides a firsthand experience into the complex practice of managing a formulary. This year, 64 PharmD programs nationwide participated. Nine teams were recognized as semifinalist honorable mention teams, with an additional nine teams selected as national finalists. In the final round of evaluation, teams engaged virtually with AMCP Foundation’s national judges during AMCP 2021. 

Additional national finalist teams hailed from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy; Purdue University College of Pharmacy; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, University of Utah College of Pharmacy, and Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy. 

“The high quality of the case study submissions is a welcome indicator of a secure and innovative future for managed care pharmacy,” said Paula J. Eichenbrenner, MBA, CAE, AMCP Foundation executive director. “AMCP Foundation congratulates all of this year’s participants and looks forward to the start of their successful careers in our industry.” 

The teams of four worked through a series of assignments using a product dossier in the AMCP Format for Formulary Submissions. This year’s competition drug was DAYVIGO™ (lemborexant) CIV tablets, manufactured by Eisai, 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 P&T Competition is supported by Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Formulary Decisions/AMCP eDossiers. “It is an honor and an esteemed pleasure to support the AMCP Foundation’s P&T Competition, which significantly helps to prepare future managed care PharmDs. Competitors learn to make meaningful formulary decisions not only based on a drug’s clinical profile but also on other attributes which help patients such as costs, increased adherence, decreased hospitalizations and office visits as well as an overall improved quality of life,” said Vice President of Medical Affairs at Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Welton O’Neal, PharmD. 

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 the collective knowledge and insights on major issues associated with the practice of pharmacy in managed care 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.