Pfizer Synthesis Essay Resources

The following resources are provided to help applicants with their synthesis essay portion of the AMCP Foundation/Pfizer, Inc. Managed Care Summer Internship application.  

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous biopharmaceutical companies are racing towards a vaccine, with several likely to have a viable vaccine in 2021. MCOs will likely have to coordinate with multiple stakeholders to ensure that their members will be able to have safe, quick, and unobstructed access to these vaccines.

The health plan you work for has just received notice that vaccine will be available "very soon" but is not currently prepared to implement a plan of action. There is also limited knowledge on what the vaccine will cost, but there is an ICER report available assessing cost-effective prices of COVID-19 vaccines. As the pharmacy benefits expert, you have been asked to “do some research” and create a patient access plan for the new vaccine, and any others that may follow.

Create a report describing the process adding a vaccine to your formulary that addresses the following:

• Describe how you will evaluate vaccine efficacy and safety, taking into consideration public opinion and anti-vaxxers
• Highlight cost-effectiveness and budget impact implications (from the patient, provider, as well as the health plan’s perspective)
• Discuss follow-on vaccines that other manufacturers will develop, and how you will incorporate these. Will you cover all of them? Will you allow patients/providers to choose?
• Address potential concerns regarding vaccine deliver at a large scale and provide possible solutions to overcoming the barriers

Here are a few references to start your search. You are required to do additional research for your proposal:

ICER White Paper on Vaccine Pricing
 

Your report must have an executive summary of no more than 250 words, followed by information related to how the health plan will cover the new vaccine(s). The OUTLINE of your program should be structured in 3 to 5 bullets with no more than 5 sub-bullets for each. (**Please no doctoral dissertations – the judges will not read it. Be brief and to the point.)

Questions? Email us: contact@amcpfoundation.org