Intern Perspectives: Jordan Bernard, AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Oncology Internship

This summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Horizon BCBSNJ as the 2025 AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Oncology Intern. This experience opened my eyes to the many career paths pharmacists can pursue beyond traditional roles. It also expanded my knowledge base not just in managed care, but in the healthcare system as a whole.

At Horizon BCBSNJ, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience across several core areas of managed care. I observed over 20 clinical review meetings with pharmaceutical companies, which gave me valuable insight into how manufacturers position their products and what truly resonates with payers. I drafted and evaluated drug coverage criteria for various therapies, to increase my understanding of formulary decision making. Additionally, I made over 200 outreach calls to patients, pharmacies, and providers, supporting adherence efforts, conducting CMRs, and resolving therapy related issues to improve patient safety. Pharmacists on the team delivered over 10 lectures across topics such as the Inflation Reduction Act, value-based agreements, and differences between commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare which enhanced my foundation knowledge of managed care. Lastly, I completed a capstone project on healthcare resource utilization and costs among metastatic colorectal cancer patients with and without biomarker testing that I’m excited to present at AMCP Nexus 2025 in Washington, D.C. 

In addition to my experiences at Horizon BCBSNJ, the program featured weekly journal club sessions led by Mei Huang and Kenneth Garcia through the AMCP Foundation, where we discussed articles from the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. We also participated in weekly educational sessions hosted by John Spain and Tom Heard, covering key industry topics such as budget impact models, pre-approval information exchange, and pricing strategies.

I would like to give special thanks to my preceptors, Hannah Jang and Mark Angeles, for welcoming me with open arms and creating an internship experience that truly pushed me to grow. I’m also incredibly grateful for Anne Fentress and Ebony Clay. This opportunity would not have been possible for me without their support and coordination. Thank you to my fellow AMCP Foundation interns. They have been great people to learn from and grow with and I’m excited to see all the great things they will go on to accomplish. Lastly, I’d like to thank all the individuals I had the opportunity to connect with through Horizon BCBSNJ, the AMCP Foundation, and Pfizer. Each of them played a meaningful role in shaping my learning experience and contributed to a summer of personal and professional growth.

Overall, this experience has been pivotal for my early journey as a future pharmacist. It confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in Market Access, where I can combine my clinical knowledge with a deeper understanding of healthcare systems to improve access and outcomes for patients.

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