FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2004

CONTACT: Brooke Benschoter, (515) 271-2017, brooke.benschoter@drake.edu

DRAKE PHARMACY TEAM WINS NATIONAL COMPETITION

The first Drake students to ever compete in the National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Competition sponsored by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) were hoping to make the finals. Drake's team not only made the finals; it won the competition in San Francisco.

"At first we were thrilled to get into the top eight for the finals, " said Emily Rogers, a fourth-year pharmacy student from West Des Moines and one of four members of the Drake team. " When we won, I was thrilled. It's a big win for the College of Pharmacy and one of the best things I've done as a student."

In addition to Rogers, the team consisted of Abby Butler, a third-year pharmacy student from Sioux City, Iowa; Phil Grgurich, a second-year pharmacy student from Canton, Ill.; and Nichole Schliemann, a first-year pharmacy student from Kasota, Minn.

The other universities competing in the finals were Maryland, Ohio State, Illinois-Chicago, Southern California, Duquesne, Pittsburgh and Loma Linda.

Drake's team began preparing for the competition in late December and worked diligently throughout most of the spring semester under the guidance of adviser Lon Larson, professor of pharmacy administration at Drake.

The competition focused on analyzing drug products and determining which ones are most medically appropriate and cost effective for treating disease and promoting health. "The competition involved writing a summary that included all the pharmacological, clinical, therapeutic and economic factors of a drug that medical institutions such as HMOs or hospitals must consider when choosing which medications are best at treating disease and saving money," Larson said.

The competition challenges students from the Academy's Student Chapter ranks to think in terms of real world experience when implementing AMCP's Format for Formulary Submissions. The competition gives students an opportunity to hone and test their evaluation skills. More important, the competition allows students to view different styles and processes that can be used in effective formulary management.

In the competition, each team reviewed and critiqued a dossier of a new drug for treating osteoporosis that was prepared by its manufacturer. A drug manufacturer typically proffers a dossier when it asks to have a drug placed on a medical institution's drug formulary system. The dossier contains clinical evidence and economic analyses, which need to be assessed and critiqued.

A drug formulary system is a process in which a health care organization establishes its policies on the use of drug products and therapies, and identifies the most medically appropriate and cost-effective choices to best serve its patient population.

The Drake team prepared a five-page document comparing the dossier to formulary submission guidelines, a 10-page summary, a two-page executive summary, and a handout for a 30-minute presentation.

"At the national AMCP meeting, the team verbally presented the highlights of the summary to a pharmacy and therapeutics committee," Larson said. "The judges were extremely complimentary, and the comments weren't just about this particular issue, but also addressed how the students understand the entire scope of managed-care pharmacy."

For its efforts, the Drake team will receive a free trip to an AMCP meeting next fall in Baltimore, where it will receive a plaque commemorating this spring's victory.

"I knew we have good students, very exceptional students actually," Larson said. "And with this being the first time we've been in this competition, it was a very pleasant and rewarding experience. We were just floating in the clouds. Our students did an outstanding job and we can be very proud of them."