Intern Perspectives: Jamie Paik, AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care Internship

Looking back on my summer as the AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Inc. Managed Care Intern at Humana, I am incredibly grateful for an experience that connected so many of my interests across pharmacy. As a pharmacy student, I have had the opportunity to learn across many different areas of pharmacy. While I had often worked alongside managed care, I had never experienced the payer perspective firsthand. This internship allowed me to step into that space and understand how clinical evidence, real-world data, market dynamics, and strategic decision-making come together to shape medication access and value for patients.  

One of the most meaningful parts of my internship was leading a capstone research project examining real-world glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist adherence among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Using longitudinal claims data, we identified distinct adherence trajectories and evaluated how these patterns were associated with changes in the use of other glucose-lowering medications. This project gave me the opportunity to explore how real-world treatment patterns can provide a more complete picture of medication use over time and offer insights into diabetes management in older adults. I translated our findings into a scientific poster and had the opportunity to present key insights to a Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Committee. I am excited to continue sharing this work with my poster at AMCP Nexus 2026. 

I also gained hands-on experience with formulary evaluation and P&T decision-making. I conducted a clinical and economic evaluation of Hepcludex (bulevirtide), assessed its place in therapy, and developed recommendations for presentation to a P&T Committee. Through this work, I saw how payers weigh clinical evidence, unmet need, cost, and anticipated utilization when making decisions that can affect patient access. 

In addition to formulary reviews, I worked on projects that used market trends and pipeline developments to inform broader pharmacy strategy. I analyzed BioMedTracker catalyst and sales data to identify drug trends and inform forecasting models, and I conducted competitive-intelligence assessments of pipeline therapies. I also supported therapeutic and market assessments of high-impact drugs related to maximum allowable cost (MAC) pricing strategy. Together, these experiences showed me how managed care organizations use data to prepare for emerging therapies, changing utilization patterns, and future budget impact. 

I am extremely grateful to my preceptors, Heather Wind, PharmD, CSSBB, and Edward Casey, for their guidance, encouragement, and commitment to creating a meaningful learning experience. I would also like to thank Anne Fentress and Ebony Clay at the AMCP Foundation for being so supportive through this internship. Finally, thank you to everyone else at Humana, Pfizer, and the AMCP Foundation who invested time in my growth throughout the summer.  

This experience gave me a much deeper understanding of the payer perspective and reinforced my interest in bringing together clinical evidence, real-world data, and market insights to inform pharmacy strategy that improves patient access and value. I am excited to carry these lessons with me as I continue exploring where I can make the greatest impact within pharmacy.

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