AMCP NEXUS 2015 Conference Spotlight
In one week the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) NEXUS 2015 will commence at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center (6000 West Osceola Parkway; 407-586-0000; www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mcogp-gaylord-palms-resort-and-convention-center). The meeting is taking place October 26 to 29.
Key Session
Payers and patients alike are subject to the ever-evolving health care market.
This conference’s headline session titled Three Futures—What Will Health Care look Like in 3 Years, will feature Elizabeth Carpenter, vice president, Avalere Health, and Josh Seidman, senior vice president, Avalere Health.
The 3 futures they will look into are:
Future 1: Value-Based Insurance Design: These Aren’t Your Parents’ Benefits
Future 2: Doubling Down: Alternative Payment Models
Future 3: Patients in the Driver Seat: The Changing Role of Consumers in Health Care
The interactive session will assess what each of these futures will look like for health care stakeholders.
Schedule at a Glance
The AMCP NEXUS 2015 meeting will be filled with educational sessions spanning the topics of regulatory updates, cost saving solutions, innovative treatment options, and more. Below is a snapshot of the sessions occurring during the meeting.
Tuesday, October 27
8:00 AM – 9:15 AM
Pipeline Session: Specialty Pharmaceuticals in Development
9:45 AM – 11:15 AM
Federal and State Legislative and Regulatory Update
9:45 AM – 11:15 AM
Managing Chronic Hepatitis C Virus: Where Are We?
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Adherence Improvement: Focus on Primary Medication Non-Adherence in Specialty Pharmacy
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Strategizing Compounding Pharmacy Management
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Mock P&T: Applying the Evidence to Unmet Patients Needs in Hypercholesterolemia
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Managed Care Review Board-An Analysis of Treatment Options, Comparative Effectiveness Research, and Benefit Designs for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Wednesday, October 28
6:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Hemophilia Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy Solutions for Cost Savings in a New Healthcare Ecosystem
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
Innovation Strategies for Containing the Specialty Drug Spend & Utilization
8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
Traditional Brand and Generic Drugs in Development
10:05 AM – 11:35 AM
Biologics, Biosimilars, and Interchangeable Biologics: Integrating Global Experience into Expectations for the United States
10:05 AM – 11:35 AM
Insight into Proven Adherence Predictors and Interventions, and a Successful QRS Strategy
11:15 AM – 2:15 PM
Science & Innovation Theaters
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Challenges to Ensuring Uptake of Biosimilars
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Pediatric Behavioral Health Medications: Development and Implementation of a Management Strategy
4:20 PM – 5:50 PM
AMCP Headline Session
Three Futures—What Will Healthcare Look Like in 3 Years
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
A 3D View: From Molecules to New Biologic Therapies to Patients’ Outcomes: How a New Understanding of Psoriasis Biology is Catalyzing a Novel Approach to a Complex Disease
Thursday, October 29
6:00 AM – 7:45 AM
Cost-effective Solutions and Collaborative Care Approaches to Optimize Outcomes in Antibody Replacement Therapy
6:00 AM – 7:45 AM
The Managed Care Review Board-An Analysis of the Latest Treatments, Economic Value, and Benefit Designs for Oral Anticoagulation Therapy
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Clinical Pathways in Oncology: Current Success and Future Initiatives
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Managing Orphan Drugs
9:45 AM – 11:00 AM
Pipeline Session: Biosimilar Products in Development
For the full schedule, please visit the AMCP Detailed Program Schedule Page.
A Tour of the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
Conference host hotels are a lifeline to attendees. The Gaylord Palms (6000 West Osceola Parkway; 407-586-0000; www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ mcogp-gaylord-palms-resort-and-convention-center) is a dynamic combination of resort, meeting place, and relaxation zone.
Room Overview
The Gaylord Palms offers spacious guest rooms with plenty of amenities to make visitors feel at home. Standard guest rooms have 410 square feet of air-conditioned space to keep you cool in the Florida heat. The rooms are decorated to evoke a gorgeous Florida day with sunny-colored walls, flowery throw pillows, and tan accents that are reminiscent of peaceful sandy beaches. The roomy bathrooms feature granite vanities and full-length mirrors.
The Gaylord Palms has around-the-clock room service so guests can eat according to their schedule. The room has complimentary bottled water, a mini refrigerator, and a coffee maker for that early morning caffeine fix. In-room media is also provided including wireless internet access for $14.99 per day and premium movie channels.
Dining In
Guests won’t have to go far to satisfy their hunger when staying at the Gaylord Palms. The resort has an array of dining options to please even the pickiest of eaters.
The newest addition to the Gaylord Palms’ restaurant repertoire is MOOR (407-586-1101), an eatery located on a sailboat in the Key West Atrium that features regional cuisine. Diners will eat beneath the large white masts that have strings of white lights streaming down. MOOR prides itself on fresh food from local farmers and fishmongers. Many dishes are made with seasonal ingredients that are both sustainable and tasty. On the menu there’s a separate section labeled “Off the Hook Fresh,” that lists the available fresh fish all caught in locally.
For many travelers brunch is the highlight of their dining agenda. If you count yourself among these diners, than rejoice because Villa de Flora (407-586-1114) was voted the Critic’s Choice for Best Brunch by the Orlando Sentinel. The elegant atmosphere resembles a romantically-lit dining room in a European villa. The tables look out over lush greenery and floating lights. Brunch options include build your own omelets, French toast fresh from the griddle, and country biscuits with sausage gravy. For dinner, Villa de Flora serves breads fresh from the market, chicken cacciatore, salmon with lemon and herbs, Valencian seafood paella, and other first-class dishes.
Conference Spaces
Since a good amount of your time will be spent in sessions, getting to know the conference space is a must. The Gaylord Palms conference center has 400,000 square feet of space, housing 61 conference rooms. The meeting rooms come equipped with state-of-the-art AV and lighting systems. There’s also multiple boardrooms and ballrooms to accommodate various sized groups. If you need a pick-me-up in the middle of sessions, stop by the Cocoa Bean, which proudly serves Starbucks® coffee and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Gaylord Palms has its very own Business Center to cover all of your meeting needs. The 24-hour printing service is a lifesaver if any last minute changes or copies need to be made.—Jordyn Greenblatt
The Haunted Happenings of Orlando
The delightfully chilling holiday of Halloween is soon upon us. Orlando is home to spooktastic Halloween-themed attractions at some of America’s top theme parks. If you’re prepared to take on a night of fright and fun—you’ve come to the right town.
The Horror
Universal Studios Florida® has been the home of the haunt for quite some time. In fact, this is the theme park’s 25th year spooking and scaring. On October 28 and 29, the theme park comes alive—or dead rather, with creatures, ghouls, monsters, and mutants during their annual Halloween Horror Nights®. Frightening maniacs take over the streets and do everything in their power to make you scream.
The theme park has 9 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, and 2 crazy shows each night. The park features haunted mazes to walk through at your own risk. Last year one of the eerie mazes was modeled after the hit show The Walking Dead! It’s also recommended that guests check out some of the most daring rides like Jurassic Park® and The Mummy® to get their adrenaline pumping.
This eerie celebration attracts hundreds of thousands of horror lovers from all over and is one of the country’s scariest nights to be a part of. If you’re interested in this event, order your tickets in advance, as they sell out very early. For ticket information please visit www.halloweenhorrornights.com.
The Not-So Horror Halloween
If hardcore horror isn’t your forté, Walt Disney World® hosts an annual Halloween party that’s appropriate for all ages, especially the little ones. Everyone can join in on the fun for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party® at Magic Kingdom Park®. Kids and adults alike dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat around the park as it transforms into a magical haunted hollows. The Magic Kingdom® becomes a completely new land with the help of glowing lights, whimsical music, and Halloween-themed special effects.
The party includes the famous Boo-to-You Halloween Parade in which Disney characters greet attendees atop Halloween-style floats. Some of the floats mirror various sections of the park, including Fantasyland® and Adventureland. The Fantasyland® float is accompanied by beloved Disney characters including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Disney most popular duo—Mickey and Minnie Mouse. There’s even a float dedicated to all of Disney’s most memorable villains. The classic Disney villains can be seen dancing and singing as they stroll down the streets. In addition, each section of the park has its own Halloween-themed performance, which will captivate audiences of all ages and interests.
Disney creates numerous spooky additions to the park, such as the Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular®. The famous Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s beloved Halloween movie Hocus Pocus use their magic to create an evil party in front of the castle. They call upon many Disney villains for help, including Maleficent, to cast a spell over the entire Magic Kingdom®. The villains and dancers are accompanied by various special effects.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party only takes place certain days during the Halloween season. For more information please visit https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party.—Jordyn Greenblatt
