PQA’s Board of Directors represents a diverse group of thought leaders and experts in health care, who understand how medication optimization improves patient outcomes and supports a value-based care system. Their expertise helps PQA advance the safe and appropriate use of medicines. This blog is one in a series profiling PQA's Board members.
Susan Cantrell, MHL, RPh, CAE, is PQA’s Board Chair for 2024. She is the Chief Executive Officer of AMCP, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and has been a member of the PQA Board since 2021. In this Q&A, she shares with us her background, experience and insights on PQA’s work.
Tell us about your background and role as the Chief Executive Officer of AMCP?
I joined AMCP in February 2016, but before that, I had spent much of my career in health care associations. I’m a pharmacist by training, completed a residency right after pharmacy school and practiced for a few years. Eventually, I moved to Washington, D.C., where I discovered that the association volunteer work I so enjoyed could actually be a new career direction.
I had a long tenure at ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) in various positions and left in 2011 as Vice President of Resources Development. Afterward, I took a role at the Drug Information Association, a global organization, where I spent about five years managing the Americas. At the same time, my team also supported our colleagues in Asia. It was an incredibly interesting job that expanded my knowledge beyond pharmacy into other areas of health care.
When I came to AMCP in 2016, I was thrilled because it was a crucial time with a new administration being elected. One of the burning issues was the affordability of prescription medications, an issue still important today, though it's less prominent in current campaign dialogues. Here at AMCP, our focus is on ensuring patients can access the medications they need at affordable costs, a vital issue for the American public.
As a pharmacist by training and long-time leader in the health care association industry, what unique perspectives do you bring to PQA’s work and medication use quality?
One thing I bring is my association background. In associations, we know the importance of good governance and strong financial management. As an association executive on the Board of Directors, my understanding of these areas is useful. For example, I participated in the Bylaws Revision Committee, developing policies and procedures and making edits to the bylaws. My expertise in association leadership was crucial during that responsibility.
Additionally, our members at AMCP come from various sectors, such as health plans, pharmacy benefit managers and the pharmaceutical industry. Keeping my ear to the ground on what's happening in these sectors helps me understand the issues better and have a broader perspective. I like to think this connection is beneficial and that I can share these insights around the PQA table.
AMCP’s mission includes a focus on ensuring access to high-quality, cost-effective medications. How does PQA’s work and AMCP’s engagement with PQA help advance this goal?
AMCP's mission emphasizes quality and cost-effectiveness, and medication use quality is crucial for our members and the patients they serve. With the rising costs of medicines, it's essential to ensure that patients have the intended response and that medications are used appropriately.
Adherence is a key part of this. For instance, the cost and effectiveness of GLP-1 agonists, especially for obesity, highlight the need for proper medication use. These medications show tremendous effectiveness and favorable safety profiles, yet persistence with therapy is only about 54%.
This is where PQA comes in, addressing challenges to prevent the waste of resources from starting and stopping therapy. Ensuring long-term adherence for chronic conditions is vital. For me, quality of medication use and cost effectiveness go hand in hand, aligning with the issues we tackle at AMCP.
How would you describe the value that PQA delivers for our health care system?
The value PQA brings is closely tied to the quality of medication use. Take the PQA measures around adherence, especially in the Medicare Part D program. Our members often deal with patients who have multiple chronic conditions and may be taking six to eight medications. Ensuring these patients take their medications appropriately, have access to them, and adhere to therapy to achieve the intended outcomes is critically important.
Most people outside managed care pharmacy, Medicare Part D and PQA circles might not know much about PQA because the organization often operates behind the scenes. However, considering the importance of medication in treating chronic conditions, if we don’t have a system like PQA driving quality in medication use, we miss a crucial element in delivering expected patient outcomes.
PQA’s value lies in mobilizing those positioned to improve medication use quality, providing a roadmap through quality measures and establishing a standard of quality in the Medicare Part D program. PQA is unique in this space.
Additionally, PQA’s multi-stakeholder perspective is vital. With over 200 members, including pharmaceutical companies, MTM organizations, health plans, pharmacies, and academia, PQA ensures diverse voices are heard. This diversity is what makes PQA work so well on behalf of the patients we all serve.
Our health care system is constantly evolving in many ways. What do you see as the future for quality improvement in medication use and medication services?
I'd like to see more people get on board with quality medication use. For too long, we've viewed it too transactionally – patients get their medication and information at the point of sale, but there's so much more at stake, especially for those with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
The burden of type 2 diabetes on the U.S. health care system is tremendous, impacting individual patients and the overall cost of care. Ensuring medications are used appropriately, monitoring hemoglobin A1c levels and ensuring patients get the expected response is more critical than ever.
I see a growing interest and commitment to medication quality, especially in the health plan space, where plans are highly incentivized to improve medication quality in the Part D program. As we move toward value-based care, there will be an increased focus on achieving desired outcomes and managing chronic conditions appropriately.
As PQA’s Board Chair, what are your priorities for the organization?
Well, they're not just my priorities. We have a strategic blueprint for PQA. My role as Board Chair is to drive that forward. I've been on the PQA board long enough to see the organization's growth, and it's exciting to see what's been accomplished over the past several years.
PQA has grown and strengthened, spreading its wings in areas like research and measure modernization, with innovative thinking in quality measurement. During my one-year term and beyond, I aim to support the organization as it continues to evolve and impact patient care.
One thing that excites me is PQA's rebranding. Since its inception in 2006, PQA has had a rich history. It was time for a refresh, and now PQA has an attractive, contemporary look.
The multi-stakeholder perspective of PQA is critical to its success. As Board Chair, and even after my term, I will continue to help PQA engage the various stakeholders essential to medication use quality. Supporting PQA during this year and beyond is my priority.
What do you like to do when you’re not chairing the PQA Board or leading a national pharmacy association?
It can seem all-consuming sometimes, but I'm a golfer and spend every minute I can on the golf course. Living in North Carolina, I love the coast and do a lot of boating and fishing there. I also have a great family with three wonderful grandchildren, and any minute I can spend with them is my favorite thing by far.
Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?
The sale of PQA’s shares in Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS) earlier this year was a major milestone. As Board Chair, it's been exciting to be part of that process, which I believe will positively position PQA for future growth.
PQA's involvement with PQS in its early days was a flash of brilliance. Now, PQS is part of a technology company with a platform unifying patient data across systems and care settings, while PQA is well-positioned from a resource perspective to grow and expand in the future. I'm excited to have been part of that transition.