Association of Managed Care Pharmacy

Association of Managed Care Pharmacy
Name	Association of Managed Care Pharmacy
Abbreviation	AMCP
Formation	1988
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Alexandria, Virginia
Region served	United States
Leader title	President

Association of Managed Care Pharmacy is a professional association representing pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other health care professionals involved in pharmaceutical care within managed care settings. Founded in 1988, the organization connects stakeholders across health plans, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and academic institutions to advance medication use, cost-effectiveness, and patient outcomes. It engages with federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and professional societies to shape formulary management, drug utilization review, and value assessment.

History

The organization was established in 1988 amid shifts in Medicare and Medicaid policy, expansion of Health Maintenance Organization models, and growing roles for pharmacy benefit managers such as Express Scripts and Caremark. Early leaders included executives with backgrounds at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Kaiser Permanente, and academic programs like the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, reflecting intersections with managed care pioneers such as Oscar E. Mayer-era formulary initiatives and formulary committees modeled after work at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it engaged with regulatory changes from the Food and Drug Administration, payment reforms influenced by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and comparative effectiveness developments associated with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In the 2010s its agenda intersected with debates around the Affordable Care Act, biosimilars influenced by Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, and outcomes research linked to institutions like Duke University and Harvard Medical School.

Mission and Activities

The association promotes rational medication use through formularies, utilization management, and pharmacoeconomic evaluation, collaborating with stakeholders such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, and state pharmacy boards including the Board of Pharmacy in various jurisdictions. Activities include convening stakeholders from Pfizer, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, and independent managed care organizations to develop best practices, producing guidance used by pharmacy leaders at organizations like CVS Health and health systems such as Mayo Clinic. It also partners with academic research centers including University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University to advance health outcomes research, and with patient advocacy groups such as American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association on medication access issues.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, formulary directors, and clinicians from employer-sponsored plans, government programs, and private insurers including Aetna, Humana, and Cigna. Governance includes an elected board of directors and volunteer committees reflecting expertise from academic institutions like University of California, San Francisco and industry leaders from Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb. The association’s structure allows input from regional chapters, student affiliates linked to schools such as Ohio State University and University of Florida, and liaisons to professional bodies including American Pharmacists Association and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Education and Certification

The organization provides continuing education programs, conferences, and workshops featuring speakers from Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University School of Medicine, and regulatory experts from Food and Drug Administration panels. It offers certificate programs and training aligned with competency frameworks used by certification bodies such as the Board of Pharmacy Specialties and collaborates with academic partners like University of Southern California to deliver content on pharmacoeconomics, outcomes research, and formulary management. Educational offerings target professionals working with therapeutic areas led by companies such as Roche and Sanofi, and address topics including biologics, generics, and patient-centered medication management.

Publications and Communications

The association publishes peer-reviewed and professional communications used by pharmacy leaders, drawing on research from institutions like Yale School of Medicine and University of Michigan. Its materials are disseminated through journals, white papers, and conference proceedings that intersect with literature found in publications from New England Journal of Medicine and specialty outlets associated with Journal of the American Medical Association-affiliated research. Communications channels include newsletters, webinars, and an annual meeting that features panels with representatives from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and industry sponsors such as Eli Lilly.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

The association engages in advocacy around drug access, pricing transparency, and formulary processes, interacting with policymakers in the United States Congress and agencies such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Federal Trade Commission. It provides comment letters and testimony on regulatory proposals affecting biosimilars, specialty drug coverage, and pharmacy reimbursement, aligning with stakeholders including Bipartisan Policy Center and professional organizations like American Medical Association. The association’s policy work has intersected with landmark legislative and regulatory issues such as those involving the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid drug rebate rules, and initiatives on drug pricing transparency debated in hearings before committees in the United States Senate.

Category:Pharmacy organizations Category:Medical and health organizations based in Virginia