First Meeting of Pharmaceutical Managed Markets Association (PMMA)
Scheduled for March 27-29 in Stowe, Vt.

The first meeting of the Pharmaceutical Managed Markets Association (PMMA) – an organization formed to provide education and training for pharmaceutical managed care professionals in account management, managed care marketing and other functions – will hold its first meeting March 27-29 in Stowe, Vt.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear presentations by, meet with and participate in discussions with leaders in the field. Speakers for the event are:

• Maria Lopes, MD, MS, formerly chief medical officer of Group Health, Inc., (GHI), a provider of health coverage and administrative services to more than 2.6 million New Yorkers. Dr. Lopes, who has been in the managed care industry for over 14 years, has extensive experience in disease and case management, employee health and wellness, quality initiatives to improve HEDIS and clinical outcomes. Her session will include the following:

o what is the role of the medical director within a health plan?
o what makes an account manager successful: what has worked and hasn't from her personal experience?
o what not to do when trying to introduce or promote a product
o successful business practices to improve your relationship with a health plan beyond pharmacy: including quality and disease management


• Burton Orland, president, BioCare Consultants. Orland, who has 30 years of experience in the managed care environment, will cover these another other topics:

o navigating the MCO minefield
o how to get the all-important foot in the door
o whom to see & what to discuss
o what works and doesn't in contracting with an MCO
o using advisory boards and their value
o how MCOs work with PBMs


• Burt Zweigenhaft, CEO and Managing Partner of BioPharma Partners LLC, a strategic Health Markets services management firm with corporate offices in New York servicing Pharmaceutical, Biotech, Genomic and Managed Health markets. Zweigenhaft, will draw on his 20-plus years experience in the PBM and specialty pharmacy field to discuss the following:

  o the different types of specialty pharmacy service models today
  o SPP competition -- who's been successful, who's running behind and why
  o SPP limited distribution networks and contracting relationships between manufacturers, SPPs/PBMs and MCOs; exclusive, preferred and open
  o SPPs and HUBs -- real-world problems and solutions
  o SPP reimbursement issues -- what's working today, including key trends in “buy and bill”
  o SPPs and improving and coordinating physician relationships
  o SPPs and contracting formularies

The cost for the meeting is ~$800 per person. If more than one person attends from the same company, the rate will be $700 per person. The meeting cost does not cover travel expenses.

For more information or to register, call or email Peter Sonnenreich at (202) 246-2525 (Peter@pharmaamerica.com) or register online at www.pharmamma.org.