AMCP Foundation Launches Initiative to Identify Emerging Medication Management Practices that Can Advance Patient Care and Outcomes; Project Supported by Pfizer

TAMPA, Fla., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A major research initiative to identify and assess the impact of the rapidly changing dynamics in the U.S. health care system and their potential to improve patient care through integration of medication management practices was announced today by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Foundation (AMCP). With support from Pfizer Inc., the Emerging Pharmacy Trends Assessment will also identify strategies in response to those trends to further improve patient care and outcomes. 

The findings are to be released by the Foundation during the AMCP Nexus 2014 Conference in October in Boston. It is expected that the project will produce a comprehensive and authoritative reference resource for managed care provider organizations, health care payers, policy makers, and other stakeholders. 

"We are very pleased to collaborate with Pfizer on this visionary, proactive initiative to improve patient care," said Edith A. Rosato, RPh, IOM, Chairman of the AMCP Foundation Board of Trustees and CEO of AMCP. "With the increasing focus placed on controlling the escalating costs of medications and the importance of adherence to medication therapy, the marketplace is ready for ideas and solutions that achieve the Triple Aim of Health Care: improving patient satisfaction and quality of care, improved population health, and affordability.  Findings and assessments from the Emerging Trends Project will provide real-world insights on these key health policy priorities," Rosato noted.

"The collaboration between AMCP and Pfizer is designed to systematically identify and assess current and emerging trends that impact how patient care provided by managed care pharmacy is viewed and accepted by the health care system," said Terry Griesing, Vice President, Pfizer Medical Affairs, North America.  "We will be better able to understand and support the role that managed care pharmacy plays in the delivery of health care, their efforts to enhance quality, improve adherence, and manage total cost."

"An important concept that will be explored in this research will be to determine the impact on patient health outcomes in a holistic way by integrating the pharmacy and medical benefits.  This is not the way we are used to viewing health care delivery today," stated Rosato.  "Integrating the patient's medical and pharmacy benefit will lead to better management of patients, and assessing how to achieve that goal is an overarching objective of the project," stated Rosato.

"Recent health reform measures require new approaches—specifically on the way health plans are managing their pharmacy budgets and coverage for products," said David Moules, Vice President, Pfizer, US Payer & Channel Access.  "We expect the project to proactively identify best practice management that best communicates the role of medicines in the evolving patient care delivery system.  This project provides an opportunity for leaders to work together to identify ways to best utilize medicines in a way that validates the value of medicines."

ABOUT THE AMCP FOUNDATION 
The AMCP Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, is a research, education and philanthropic organization supporting the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP).Established in 1990 as the Foundation for Managed Care Pharmacy, the AMCP Foundation was created to support the research and education agenda of AMCP. The Foundation exists to advance collective knowledge and insights on major issues associated with the practice of pharmacy in managed health care settings. 

SOURCE Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy