Announcing AMCP Foundation’s Inaugural Internship Focused on Health Disparities

Originally published in the August 2022 AMCP Foundation Impacts e-newsletter.

We are excited to announce the launch of our newest immersive experience for student pharmacists, a themed internship on health disparities. This program embeds an AMCP Foundation intern on-site at a health plan or PBM, with the student completing a capstone research project that contributes to AMCP and AMCP Foundation’s strategic priority to address health disparities.

AMCP and AMCP Foundation proudly partnered on this initiative, with AMCP funding the new program pilot through a strategic investment budget given to AMCP Foundation. Immediate Past President of AMCP, Paul L. Jeffrey, PharmD, said, “The AMCP Board of Directors was thrilled to invest in AMCP Foundation’s internship pilot as a way to further expand managed care pharmacy’s thought leadership.” He continued, “It’s a perfect partnership between our organizations: a powerful way to teach future pharmacists about health inequities while generating new evidence to eliminate these disparities.”

Zachary Brunko, a PharmD 2024 candidate at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, was selected as the first AMCP Foundation Health Disparities intern. Zach is completing his virtual internship at Magellan Rx Management under the supervision of Dr. Simone Ndujiuba, PharmD, BCOP, director, clinical strategy and innovation, oncology. His capstone focuses upon health inequities in non-small cell lung cancer. Findings will be presented in poster format at AMCP Nexus 2022.

This new offering builds upon AMCP Foundation’s robust legacy of internships for student pharmacists, with more than 200 internship alumni nationwide. Important areas of health care are addressed through internship themes, such as the AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care – Oncology Internship and the AMCP Foundation/AbbVie Specialized Internship in HEOR.

Could your organization provide a sponsorship, grant, or other funds to support this initiative in future years? Contact us to discuss the potential for collaboration, and learn more about our organizations’ strategic priority to address disparities.