Summer Intern Perspectives: Riana Roberts, AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Research and Nonprofit Leadership Intern
Published October 2021
It has been such an amazing honor to serve as the 2021 AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Research and Nonprofit Leadership Intern. This immersive learning experience has allowed me to expand my professional and leadership skills while making life-long connections! I am incredibly grateful for all the continuous support and encouragement.
Throughout my virtual experience, I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous research projects. My capstone project focuses on addressing evidence gaps in FDA expedited approvals. I developed a survey to identify potential evidence gaps and assess if payers’ perspectives have shifted from the AMCP Foundation Trends in Health Care Survey (2018). My findings will be presented at AMCP Nexus 2021. This research will also inform the AMCP partnership forum “Addressing Evidence Gaps in the Expedited Approval Process: Payer Perspectives.” I have also had the pleasure of working with members of the Joint Research Committee in which I have conducted internal meetings and have helped design an outline for the student resources project. This project will include learning tools/modules that students can use to reference when creating a poster/abstract for their research. Additionally, I have participated in a health disparities research project focusing on understanding medication assessment and adherence challenges while determining managed care pharmacy’s role in closing the medication access gaps.
Not only has this internship allowed me to gain leadership skills, but it has also helped me grow both professionally and personally. Before starting this amazing program, my goal was to gain networking opportunities, learning more about managed care pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry, and strengthening my public speaking skills. I can honestly say that by the end of my 10-week internship, I accomplished all three goals! I loved how I was able to meet so many inspiring leaders and have been able to connect with them regarding my future career aspirations. The amount of knowledge everyone has shared with me has been so insightful. I also attended weekly educational sessions hosted by Pfizer on topics including the value of medicine, real-world evidence, and social determinants of health. On top of that, I had the privilege of participating in a journal club presentation, moderate webinars with Xcenda, speak on behalf of AMCP Foundation during a virtual tour of AMCP, participate in Pfizer customer interactions, and help facilitate National Intern Day. I can honestly say my confidence has grown so much!
I want to give a special shoutout to my preceptors: Paula Eichenbrenner, Dr. John Spain, and Dr. Annesha White. Each of you provided me with the tools and skills that are essential to becoming a leader in managed care pharmacy. I appreciate all of you for your tremendous support and for being there for me every step of the way! Thanks for always taking the time out of your day to help answer my questions and assist with projects and tasks. I also want to give a special thanks to Ebony Clay for guiding me throughout such a unique learning environment and always being one phone call away.
I also want to thank AMCP Foundation and Pfizer for supporting future pharmacists like myself. As an aspiring health care leader, I will use the knowledge and skills that I have gained to continue improving patient health while focusing on patient outcomes and affordable access to medications. I hope to inspire others to become the change so that we can continue evolving as future leaders in the world of pharmacy.