IPhO News

www.phactmi.org/PortalCodeOfPractice

Thursday, August 17, 2017 - The Pharma Collaboration for Transparent Medical Information, known as phactMI™, is pleased to announce the publication of the MI Code of Practice. Written by phactMI members, the Code of Practice provides pharmaceutical-company MI professionals with standards to guide their responses to healthcare professional requests.

“The MI Code of Practice articulates standards that Industry MI professionals follow in responding to questions about their respective products,” says Dominick Albano, Vice President, Global Medical Information, Pfizer and Board of Directors, phactMI. “It reflects the integrity with which we approach our work, which supports the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medicines, thereby ultimately benefiting patients.”

MI professionals have access to scientifically accurate, up to date information on their products. As such, they are able to support healthcare professionals in their commitment to provide quality patient care. The Code of Practice provides guidance to MI professionals centered on three core elements:

• Clinical and pharmaceutical expertise
• Scientific balance of medical responses
• Quality standards

“I think it is important that Healthcare professionals who utilize industry MI services or who are considering using MI services know who we are and what we stand for,” continues Albano. “I think the same is true for patients and caregivers. The Code of Practice helps provide this understanding and can serve to increase trust.”

The phactMI Code of Practice can be accessed at:

www.phactmi.org/PortalCodeOfPractice

MAPS, the Medical Affairs Professional Society, is a non-profit global society of Medical Affairs professionals across a spectrum of fields, experience and locales. I chose to be a part of MAPS because it is the only society BY Medical Affairs professionals, FOR Medical Affairs professionals. Medical Affairs as a designated function has only been around for about 25-30 years which is relatively young compared to other functional areas in the industry. I believe in the vision of MAPS to elevate the role of medical affairs to be an equal partner to other functions, and lead the industry in the education of customers for the greater benefit of patients.

Pharmacists such as myself in the pharmaceutical industry can benefit from MAPS by expanding their understanding of medical affairs from true industry leaders, and networking through engaging professional events. I encourage you to explore the opportunities and resources that MAPS can provide you!

Visit HERE to learn more about MAPS!

Best Regards,

Ramin Farhood, PharmD, MBA, Vice President and Head, Global Medical Affairs, AveXis, and MAPS Executive Leadership Committee Member

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Merck

Function/Discipline: Clinical Safety and Risk Management

Fellowship Years: 2017-2019

Alma Mater: University of Maryland, Baltimore, Class of 2017

My choice to pursue pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry never really surprised me. Even in undergraduate school, I was a biology major looking into entering public health instead of joining everyone in pre-med. I suppose it was my unique experiences and perspective in health care that influenced me to be where I am today.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Entrée Health (Omnicom Health Group)

Function/Discipline: Market Access

Fellowship Years: 2017-2019

Alma Mater: Rutgers University, Class of 2017

“You went to pharmacy school…to do marketing?” a good friend asked me (with a very confused expression) when I announced my decision to join a fellowship program offered by Omnicom Health Group. That was the first of many times I would hear that question since accepting the offer.

Company and Department: Amgen, Regulatory Promotion Compliance

Current Role: Senior Associate Reviewer

Alma Mater: Temple University, Class of 2017

I have heard countless times how important networking is, but I did not truly understand its value until it helped me land my first job in industry.

Like many student pharmacists, my interest in the pharmaceutical industry as an alternative to traditional pharmacist roles was strong, but my knowledge of what one can do in industry was lacking. Therefore, in my first year at Temple University School of Pharmacy, I co-founded our chapter of IPhO. This was in an effort to increase my classmates, and my own, understanding of the avenues that were available to us in industry upon graduation. We gained valuable insight from each speaker that came in, and we learned some of the nuances of each position, from regulatory to medical affairs, to marketing and much more.

Authored by Alyssa Bowling, PharmD, Medical Information/Medical Affairs Fellow 2016-18, MCPHS University. The views and opinions represented below are those of the author alone, and should not be attributed to any organization with which the author is employed or affiliated.

A decade ago, the idea of “patient-centricity” in pharmaceutical industry was brand new; however, it has quickly become commonplace in nearly every company. It seems that conversations take place daily to evaluate how companies can shift focus from viewing patients as merely customers to instead seeing them as the group that drives and directs company initiatives. Rather than communicating solely with healthcare professionals to discuss products, the industry is moving toward engaging patients to better understand their personal experiences and to uncover unmet needs.

I put on my jacket and immediately my shoulders went back and I stood up straight.

I think I need to practice in my suit. I feel more “on” when I do.

These comments, from participants in a recent class on presentation skills, demonstrate that your clothing choices can help you to project confidence and to come across as a credible person – one your audience wants to listen to. Yet attire is one of those little things that presenters often don’t think about, or plan.

We are pleased to formally introduce our 2017-18 National Student Officers (NSOs). The competition for these prestigious leadership positions gets higher every year as the number of pharmacy schools with approved IPhO Chapters has now reached 50!

IPhO is pleased to announce the addition of two new student chapters, and our growing national network has now reached 50 schools of pharmacy!

In just the fifth year of operation, IPhO represents the fastest growing student pharmacist chapter network in the United States.

As the 2016-17 Fellowship year officially comes to an end, several IPhO National Fellows Council (NFC) members have successfully completed their industry fellowships/residencies and accepted their first full time industry positions. We recognize and congratulate them, and all the outgoing fellows, on this significant accomplishment!

Outgoing NFC Leaders

• Alex Wei, PharmD
• Matthew Schmidt, PharmD
• Joyce Cao, PharmD
• Vatche Demirjian, PharmD
• Nicholas Heath, PharmD
• Gediminas Pliura, PharmD
• Alisha Couto, PharmD
• Phil Armendi, PharmD

The 2016-17 term has been an extremely exciting and productive period for our National Student Officers. We want to take this moment to acknowledge each of them and some of their numerous accomplishments. IPhO increased its national student leadership from three to six members this past year to support the continuing growth of our organization. During their tenure, the number of IPhO Student Chapters grew to 48! This growth would not have been possible without the tremendous commitment and quality of these student pharmacist leaders.

In addition, we are pleased to congratulate each of them on their acceptance to an industry fellowship program.

On April 19, 2017 the MCPHS-Boston IPhO Chapter hosted its 4th Annual “Emerging World of the Industry Pharmacist” event on the MCPHS-Boston campus. The focus of this year's event was, "The Rise of Rare Diseases and its Growing Impact on Healthcare."

100+ Industry experts, pharmacists, fellows, and students gathered to gain more insight on the growing impact of rare diseases in the pharmaceutical industry. The evening began with a networking session followed by dinner and presentations from three industry experts who work with rare diseases on a daily basis.

Dr. James Alexander, CEO and Founder of IPhO, moderated the event and spoke of the importance of rare diseases in the pharmaceutical industry and the unique role it has within all departments.

Jonathan Picker, MD, PhD from Boston Children's hospital shared his personal experience of launching Fragile X and Global Gene Corp, two multinational biotech companies that deliver genomics data platform solutions for various patients, including those with rare diseases. Will Richmond, MBA, Senior Director of Market Access Sanofi Genzyme, spoke about his individual experience of engaging with various specialists and finding patients from the rare disease population. Concluding the presentation was Georgina Lee, PharmD, Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs with Biogen. Dr. Lee discussed the fast track approval for rare disease drugs, granted by the FDA and how these medications receive a faster response in regards to the submission of their advertising and promotional material.

Bernie Tyrell, RPh, MBA, Associate Dean and Chair of the Pharmaceutical Business and Administrative Sciences Department at MCPHS University, delivered closing remarks for the evening and emphasized the importance that pharmacists have in this unique, up and coming field.

Many thanks to the MCPHS-Boston IPhO Student Chapter, including student leaders Vannary Chhay, Christine Marotta, Amy Trottier, Divyani Patel, Sarah Caisse, Judi Abboud, and James Geiser.

Authored by Adam Quicquaro, 2018 PharmD Candidate, 2016-17 MCPHS-Boston IPhO Chapter President

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Novo Nordisk

Function/Discipline: Medical Affairs and Strategy

Fellowship Years: 2016-2017

Alma Mater: University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Class of 2016

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

Pharma has a funny way of drawing people in, including those who did not necessarily ever intend to move in that direction. One of the best traits a PharmD student/grad can acquire is to always, even if you know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life, always bring an inquisitive mindset to every encounter and be bold by initiating conversation, whether it is with a CEO or a junior level person. You never know where it might lead, and for me, it led me to completely redirecting my career.

Fellowship Sponsor Company: Sunovion Pharmaceuticals

Function/Discipline: Medical Information/Medical Affairs

Fellowship Years: 2016-2018

PharmD Alma Mater: University of Michigan, Class of 2016

I’ve always had a passion for the mind - a passion to understand the intricacies of its neuronal pathways, of how these pathways shape our movements and our thoughts, and of the inevitable irregularities in functioning that can so greatly impact an individual’s life. As an undergraduate, the more I learned about the disorders that so often plague the mind, the more curious I became. I discovered what many healthcare professionals, including my pharmacy colleagues, know today: fundamentally new treatments for psychiatric conditions have not been discovered in the recent past, and existing treatments are not always effective. After uncovering this disheartening fact, I knew that I wanted to contribute to the advancement of treatment options for those with mental illness.

Company and Department: Taro Pharmaceuticals, Clinical Research

Current Role: Manager, Clinical Research

Alma Mater: Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University 2013

If you are interested in entering the pharmaceutical industry, you may want to consider contract employment. I never imagined I would contract my way to a career in industry.

In the winter of 2012, during my last year of pharmacy school, I arrived at the Midyear meeting in Las Vegas, full of youthful optimism and hope for one goal: a fellowship. As an intern at an agency that provided medical writing services for pharmaceutical companies, I felt industry was the natural progression to pursue my interest in researching and applying scientific information to understand and develop drugs. However, despite great effort, my aspirations at the Midyear Clinical Meeting did not come to fruition.

During the Annual IPhO National Student Meeting On March 25, 2017 in San Francisco, CA, student pharmacists from Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) approached the stage in front of 200 fellow student IPhO members from across the United States to receive an award for their creativity and knowledge of the drug development process. The IPhO KGI chapter had just been awarded first place in the 1^st Annual VIP (Value of Industry Pharmacists) Case Competition, designed to test their pharmaceutical industry knowledge and skills through an industry-based case scenario—the first of its kind in the industry.

Many of the 48 chapters in the IPhO National Student Chapter Network participated in this unique challenge right from their very own campuses — how to create a comprehensive development plan for a new molecular entity, from initial concept all the way through to approval and marketing of the product. The case provided a brief description of a hypothetical new drug entity from which each participating chapter started this competition, and their commitment to identifying and applying their knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry commercialization process took the steering wheel from there. Each participating IPhO student chapter, with the support of PharmD Industry Fellows from the IPhO National Fellows Community, worked diligently over four months to develop a video presentation detailing their drug development plan. Importantly, each presentation included a description of the important role that pharmacists play in the new drug development process.

The IPhO VIP Case Competition enabled students to delve into multiple disciplines within the pharmaceutical industry including, but not limited to: Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Commercial functions. Each phase of the hypothetical drug’s lifecycle presented a unique challenge and enabled students to think outside the box and put their pharmaceutical industry skills to the test.

Why is this competition so valuable and unique? Since there are relatively few industry internships and APPE rotations available, many student pharmacists do not have the opportunity to learn about the career paths available to and well-suited for pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry. This competition helps address the lack of experiential opportunities - by bringing the internship directly to them! It engages students to proactively seek knowledge about the industry and apply it to a real-life model of a drug in development.

The competition was very successful in its first year thanks to Dr. Matthew Schmidt, a Genentech Regulatory Affairs Fellow, and his innovative team of industry fellows listed below.

IPhO Student Development Committee Members

• Chair, Matthew Schmidt, Genentech Fellow
• Co-Chair, Sean Harrison, Regeneron Fellow
• Philip Armendi, Allergan Fellow
• Maria Cusano, Novartis Fellow
• Arielle Gabarda, ECIR Medical Communications Fellow
• Francisco Hernandorena, Janssen Fellow
• Phyllis Lee, GlaxoSmithKline Fellow
• Joe Naggar, Biogen Fellow
• Tae Oh, Allergan Fellow
• Gunjan Patel, Novartis Fellow
• Tej Patel, GlaxoSmithKline Fellow
• Monica Timmerman, Fresenius Fellow
• Shivani Vora, Eli Lilly Visiting Scientist Fellow

The IPhO Student Development Committee plays an integral role in growing and influencing the development of the next generation of industry pharmacists. They are responsible for advising, collaborating, and managing the activities of the IPhO National Student Chapter Network. While setting objectives and goals for the year, the Student Development Committee highlighted the need to revamp the Case Competition’s predecessor, the VIP Advocacy Challenge. Student feedback received clearly indicated a desire to learn more about the functional roles and dynamics within a pharmaceutical company while integrating the value that industry pharmacists bring to each of these roles. Under the strong guidance of IPhO’s national leadership, the idea for the Value of Industry Pharmacists (VIP) Case Competition was born.

According to IPhO Student Development Committee Chair Matthew Schmidt, “we wanted to challenge ourselves to develop an opportunity that not only encouraged spirited, collegial competition but also gave student pharmacists another avenue to actively learn more about industry career paths. What better way to do this than presenting students with a challenge that empowers them to understand how a pharmaceutical company operates? The competition was created to foster an understanding of the cross-functional process of developing and bringing a new drug to market, while considering the value that industry pharmacists bring to each functional area at each stage of development. Every chapter faced the same goal: design the best comprehensive development plan for a hypothetical molecule, with respect to its clinical development plan as well as regulatory, medical, and commercial strategies. What we saw was truly impressive! Interest in this competition by pharmacy schools across the country was widespread. More than 25 IPhO student chapters expressed interest in entering the competition, and 18 chapters officially submitting their drug development plan for consideration. We quickly witnessed the competition’s ability to inspire pharmacy students with little to no knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, to conduct extensive research and to expand their professional network by reaching out to industry professionals. Student chapters without adequate industry resources now had an additional reason to participate in IPhO blogs/forums and engage in industry-focused conversations. The VIP Case Competition has already and will continue to enable the promotion of careers in the pharmaceutical industry and advocate for pharmacists in ALL industry functions.”

IPhO CEO James Alexander, who helped oversee the creation and execution of the 1^st Annual Case Competition, said "we are very grateful to Matt, his team, and the IPhO National Fellows Council for creating such an amazingly successful competition,” said Dr. Alexander. “I have no doubt that the IPhO VIP Case Competition will thrive and become one of our organization's centerpiece offerings for many years to come. It is clearly in line with our mission for our IPhO student pharmacist members, which is to help prepare them for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.” Dr. Alexander also added that, “we will seek to engage one or more pharmaceutical companies to support the 2017-18 competition and help student pharmacists learn more about the important role that pharmacists play in the drug development process.”

Building upon the great success of the 2016-17 competition, the IPhO National Fellows Council and the Student Development Committee are working to make the competition even better next year. The goal is to provide an even greater opportunity for pharmacy students nationwide to understand and experience the pharmaceutical industry, and to develop the next generation of student and industry pharmacist leaders.

Authored by Vineeth Nair, PharmD, Pfizer Post-Doctoral Fellow and Co-Chief, IPhO National Fellows Council

IPhO Announces Registration Open for the Comprehensive Industry Certificate Course: Commercialization of Pharmaceuticals From A to Z and the Role of Industry Pharmacists.

Learn more and/or register today: www.industrypharmacist.org/certificatecourse.php

To meet the growing demand in preparing student pharmacists, recent graduates, and young professionals interested in an industry career, IPhO is continuing to offer an Industry Certificate Course. If you don’t have access to an industry elective at your school or are a recent graduate or younger professional interested in transitioning to an industry career, including applying for industry fellowships or full time roles, then this certificate course is for you!

After a very successful first year in 2016 and high interest from many student pharmacists, recent graduates, and younger professionals from all regions of the country, IPhO has expanded and enhanced the program for the summer of 2017!

Fellowship Sponsor Company: ECIR Medical Communications

Function/Discipline: Medical Strategy & Communications

Fellowship Years: 2016-2017

Alma Mater: University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Class of 2016

My interests to provide patient care on a global scale formed during my first year in pharmacy school. I discovered my passion for population-based healthcare through my local and national involvement in AMCP, including the P&T Competition. Drawn to exciting nontraditional pharmacy routes, I became eager to explore unique ways that pharmacists provide value in the healthcare system and had the privilege of completing a rotation at the FDA. This experience allowed me to interact with policy leaders, introduced me to policy on clinical trial design, sharpened my holistic view of drug evaluation, and ultimately led to my decision to pursue a challenging and rewarding career in the pharmaceutical industry.