UB SPPS AMCP celebrates multiple awards at 2024 AMCP Nexus conference

The SPPS student chapter of AMCP promotes the education and development of managed care pharmacy principles and practices. Managed care pharmacy focuses on creating and implementing evidence-based medication use strategies that improve health outcomes for individuals and populations while optimizing healthcare resources.

SPPS was awarded the 2024 AMCP Chapter of the Year Award, marking the second consecutive year our school received this award.

The award recognizes an AMCP student chapter that establishes quality, innovative managed care programming for students and makes an impact in the managed care pharmacy community. SPPS was recognized for their innovative chapter events, specifically hosting a managed care game night with games including ‘The Price is Right’ and ‘Is that a Drug or a Pokemon?’ These trivia style games fostered discussions on the need for utilization management and the role of managed care in controlling drug spend while optimizing patient health outcomes. The award included a personalized plaque and a $1,000 chapter grant.

“Receiving this award for the second year in a row has really demonstrated the increased presence and interest in managed care among our students and the efforts of our chapter,” says Emily Diep, PharmD/MBA ’25, former SPPS AMCP student chapter president. “The award offers ample opportunity to invest in the continued success of our chapter and students, especially in their professional development endeavors.” 

SPPS was also awarded first place for this year’s AMCP Chapter Growth Challenge.

The challenge was for AMCP student chapters to increase student membership using toolkits provided by AMCP. SPPS was recognized as having the largest growth in student membership among all AMCP student chapters, with a 196% increase in membership for the 2023-2024 academic year. The award included a $500 chapter grant, discounts on student admission to AMCP 2025 and discounts on a managed care certificate program for all chapter members.

Lokhay (Shelby) Chan, PharmD/MBA ’25, was awarded the AMCP Foundation 2024 Best Student Pharmacist Poster. These recipients are recognized for their research based on scientific merit, evidence of innovation and practicality, strength and clarity of conclusions and visual interpretation of data.

Chan’s poster, ‘A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Social Determinants of Health Program within a Clinical Integrated Network of Community Pharmacies,’ aimed to develop a cost-benefit analysis within an ongoing social determinants of health (SDoH) screening and referral program in a clinically integrated community pharmacy network. Chan and her research team concluded that SDoH screening and referral programs implemented in community pharmacies show positive economic outcomes, highlighting the potential for integrating social determinants of health into clinical pharmacy services. 

“I am truly honored to be recognized for the best student pharmacist poster at AMCP Nexus,” says Chan. “This recognition highlights the important role that social determinants of health screening plays and how pharmacy services can enhance both health and economic outcomes. It reflects the knowledge I’ve gained in pharmacy and my MBA, as well as the invaluable support from my mentors, peers, and school. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I hope to continue demonstrating how pharmacy-related services can improve patient outcomes in the future.”