Summer Intern Perspectives: Amelia Brown, The AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Summer Intern

Published October 2021 

The AMCP Foundation/Pfizer Managed Care Summer Internship program allowed me to explore a pharmacy benefit manager and their relationship with patients, providers, and insurance companies. I worked on improving research skills and expanding my perception of how a pharmacist can improve access to health care. AMCP Foundation internships are unique because of the structured approach to applying managed care concepts. This was my first exposure to a pharmacy benefit manager, and Prime Therapeutics was a supportive learning environment for students. 

One of the most valuable parts of the internship was the research project presented at AMCP Nexus 2021. I learned the advantages and limitations of data used in a retrospective claims analysis and how to present actionable conclusions. It was important to question if the data we collected were relevant, if the right population was targeted, and if the results had a meaningful impact. 

Setting personal goals for the internship early on gave me exposure to a wide variety of managed care areas. One of my goals was to become comfortable networking. Connecting with different pharmacists at Prime made me realize it wasn’t as scary as I thought! Everyone there was willing to talk with me, giving advice and sharing their story. 

Another one of my goals was to get hands-on experience in many different departments. I asked pharmacists I talked to if I could help with a project, draft a document, or practice a skill. They were happy to oblige. Some of my favorite projects were giving a presentation about digital therapeutics, presenting a formulary change, and creating provider education. 

I am grateful to those who helped with this internship, including Dr's, Pat Gleason and Cathy Starner at Prime Therapeutics who helped guide my research project and encouraged me to keep asking questions. Thank you to Dr. Kevin Odell at Pfizer for introducing me to the pharmaceutical industry and insight into real healthcare problems. I would also like to thank my mentor's Dr's, Taryn Sohal and Max Lee for their advice and guidance this summer. Lastly, thank you to Ebony Clay and the AMCP Foundation for your long legacy of developing future managed care pharmacists. 

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View Ameila's capstone research project presented at AMCP Nexus 2021: "Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosis and Pharmacy Claims Indicating Lack of Anticoagulation: Managed Care Pharmacy Provider Fax Impact on Anticoagulation Initiation"