Pfizer Oncology Essay Resources
The following resources are provided to help applicants with their essay portion of the AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Oncology Summer Internship application.
The purpose of this assignment is not to become an expert in benefit design, but rather to demonstrate your ability to evaluate emerging managed care issues, synthesize literature, and develop a practical recommendation for pharmacy leadership.
2027 Pfizer Oncology Application Essay Prompt
As oncology drug list prices continue to rise, plan sponsors and PBMs increasingly rely on copay accumulator and copay maximizer programs to offset the cost impact of manufacturer copay assistance. These benefit designs determine whether, and how, manufacturer copay cards count toward a patient's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. While these programs can generate savings for plans, they have also been linked to treatment discontinuation and unaffordable point-of-sale costs for patients on high-cost oncology regimens.
You have been asked to prepare a briefing for a health system’s oncology pharmacy leadership team evaluating how to respond to payer-driven copay accumulator and maximizer programs affecting their oncology patient population.
- Define and compare copay accumulator and copay maximizer programs, particularly in the context of oncology drug cost-sharing.
- Analyze the potential clinical, operational, and financial implications of each model for health systems, payers, patients, and manufacturers.
- Propose a policy recommendation for how a health system pharmacy should support patients affected by copay accumulator and maximizer programs, with justification based on quality, cost, and patient access.
You will prepare 2 deliverables highlighting the items discussed above. These deliverables include:
- Executive Summary (no more than 250 words)
- Presentation Outline
- In bullet points
- 3-5 bullets and no more than 5 sub-bullets
Resources:
- Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy — "A Primer on Copay Accumulators, Copay Maximizers, and Alternative Funding Programs"
- Cancer (Wiley) — "Copay Accumulators: Shifting Costs of Oncology Drugs from Plans to Patients"
Notes:
- Be brief and to the point
- Include at least 2 references (peer-reviewed) from your literature search
- Cite in APA format
- Use of AI: You are to include a statement disclosing your use of AI in the reference section on your essay. Example: I used [AI tool used] to assist with APA citations and the development of my work. I reviewed and verified all sources for accuracy and credibility, refined the content, and revised the structure and wording to reflect my own understanding. The final submission represents a combination of my work and AI-assisted support.