Kyle Bakkie: The Value of Premera’s Partnerships with AMCP and ICER

Originally published in the August 2021 AMCP Foundation Impacts e-newsletter. 

By Kyle Bakkie, PharmD, MBA 

PGY1 Pharmacy Resident, Premera Blue Cross 

AMCP Foundation welcomed two pharmacist residents, Max Lee, PharmD, and Kyle Bakkie, PharmD, for a virtual rotation this spring. Max and Kyle were the 2020-21 residents in the Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Managed Care Pharmacy Residency at Premera Blue Cross in Seattle. 

I have to admit that I never pictured myself completing the majority of my residency program from home in the midst of a global pandemic. While I was unable to physically travel to Boston or Washington D.C. this year as past Premera residents have done, I have been fortunate enough to still experience working with organizations like AMCP Foundation and ICER. By actively taking part in the work that these organizations do on a daily basis, I have been able to better realize the value they bring to our health care system. It has become clear how Premera’s strong partnership with these organizations has helped it to become a leader in the health care space. I have also seen how the benefits of these relationships go both ways. In the case of ICER, Premera not only utilizes their published reports to make key UM and formulary decisions, but also provides feedback on areas of interest for future reports. Regarding AMCP, Premera is able to benefit from the legislative work and research they facilitate, while also helping to provide future direction for the organization.   

Just as Premera benefits from its close working relationship with these organizations, I think that it is also a key distinguisher of our residency program. In order to develop as a well-rounded pharmacist in the managed care space, it is critical to know what resources you have available to you and how to best utilize them. In working with AMCP, I have been able to gain a better understanding of their legislative/regulatory work, their processes for facilitating and collecting research, as well as the variety of other resources that they offer (e.g., focus groups, partnership forums, etc). At ICER, I was able to develop skills in detailed pipeline surveillance as well as take part in the processes that underly the value-based reports that they generate. I can say without a doubt that these experiences have expanded my visibility into the breadth and complexity of the managed care space. Overall, I think that these partnerships are highly valuable to both Premera and its residents, and helps set our program apart from other managed care residencies.

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