Summer Intern Perspectives: Zach Brunko, AMCP Foundation Internship Addressing Health Inequities

Over the summer, I had the privilege of working and completing the AMCP Foundation Internship Addressing Health Inequities through Magellan Health. When I started pharmacy school, I had never heard of managed care as a field pharmacists could practice. Naturally, before starting the internship, I had reservations about starting due to my limited exposure and experience in the field. However, my preceptors and the people I met along the way took me in with open arms and helped guide me along my journey. Looking back, I’m grateful for the opportunity as I felt I grew as a student pharmacist and gained invaluable knowledge in managed care and the pharmaceutical industry.  

Throughout my internship, I completed projects with both Magellan Health and AMCP. These projects included background research on Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data Legislation for the AMCP health disparities advisory group. Another project was writing an article in the quarterly Magellan Rx Report on hATTR polyneuropathy on the clinical background and its relevance to payers and manufacturers. I also worked through an intravenous and oral drug list to optimize its use by providing details on different oncology medications. The overarching goal of this summer was to complete my capstone research project on Health Care Disparities in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) and present at AMCP Nexus 2022, looking at different regional health plan claims data to identify potential areas of improvement in NSCLC care. I also had opportunities to work alongside managed care pharmacists through their drug wastage, STAR/HEDIS, and prior authorization programs. The people at Magellan Health were also kind enough to let me sit in on internal and external meetings. I gained a better understanding of what a “typical” day might look like, and it also helped me to improve my time management skills.   

Pfizer also had opportunities for interns to attend information sessions. One in particular that stood out to me was the Oncology 3-D lecture involving the process of drug development. It was interesting to see the process going through each clinical phase and what may hinder or excel the process. AMCP Foundation also provided a regular journal club schedule where we, as an intern cohort, had the chance to present our articles and learn new and exciting things happening in the pharmaceutical world.   

I want to extend my appreciation to AMCP Foundation, Magellan Health, and Pfizer for making this opportunity possible. Being able to work in distinguished establishments and learning alongside current practicing professionals is something I will cherish through my continued education. I believe that programs like this set these organizations apart and that future interns will hopefully get the same experience as I have.  

I would like to thank my primary preceptor, Dr. Simone Ndujiuba, BCOP, who was instrumental in my progress through the program and provided the tools necessary to succeed and learn. I would like to thank Dr. Michael Polson, whose instruction of “letting me find my way and being there to help me when I get stuck” was invaluable to me in completing my capstone project. I would also like to thank Dr. Sean Shirk, Dr. Erin Ventura, Dr. Brian Macdonald, Dr. Mark Santilli, and the rest of the Magellan Rx team for their guidance and support throughout this process to help introduce me to different programs, oncology, managed care, as well as their time and patience. I would also like to thank Dr. Amanda Bain and Dr. Marin Weiskopf for their insight and experiences as professionals and former AMCP Foundation interns. Lastly, I would like to thank Ebony Clay, PMP, for ensuring that the internship program ran smoothly and that the interns got the most out of their experiences. Thank you all for helping me along this journey!  

After completing this internship and being introduced to managed care and the pharmaceutical industry, I look forward to applying for future post-graduate opportunities.  

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