Unscripted - The AMCP Podcast

In this episode of Unscripted, we speak with Steve Kheloussi, PharmD, MBA, FAMCP, Principal Consultant at Kheloussi Consulting, LLC, in the first installment of our four-part series on rare diseases. We discuss a practical overview of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the current treatment landscape, and the evidence gaps that complicate payer decision-making. We also touch on the importance of what patients and caregivers need to maintain function, reduce fatigue, and navigate the significant emotional and practical burdens of care.

This podcast is supported by an independent medical education grant from ITF Therapeutics. AMCP offers CPE for this podcast through December 31, 2026. For additional information and to claim credit, please visit:  The Power of Partnership: Bridging Patients and Payers in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Management.

In this episode of Unscripted, AMCP explores vitiligo as a complex autoimmune disease with significant psychosocial and clinical implications. Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi, MD, FADD discusses the burden of delayed diagnosis, the societal and emotional challenges patients face, and the importance of early, individualized treatment. He outlines current therapeutic approaches—including topical agents, phototherapy, systemic options, and surgical interventions—and highlights the condition’s associations with other autoimmune diseases. The conversation underscores how education, support, and emerging medical advances are reshaping outcomes and quality of life for people living with vitiligo.

In this episode of Unscripted, AMCP speaks with Sheena Crosby, PharmD, BCGP, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic in Florida. Sheena breaks down the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) updated guidelines for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, highlighting major shifts in treatment strategy, including the move toward earlier use of advanced therapies and updated goals focused on symptom control, mucosal healing, and sustained remission. She also outlines the critical payer considerations emphasized in the guidelines—from eliminating unnecessary step-therapy requirements to ensuring timely access to induction and maintenance therapy—changes that have direct implications for patient outcomes and health-system performance.

In this episode of Unscripted, we talk with Marty Acevedo, MS, RD, Patient Advocate and President & Board Chair of the Parkinson’s Association of San Diego. Marty shares her personal journey with Parkinson’s disease—from a delayed diagnosis to managing symptoms, treatment decisions, and the impact on daily life. She discusses the importance of individualized care, the essential role of caregivers, and the value of evidence-based resources. Marty also highlights her involvement in the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) research study and offers perspective on emerging advances and potential disease-modifying therapies that may shape the future of Parkinson’s care.

In this episode of Unscripted, we speak with Dr. Kartik Kalra, Clinical Nephrologist at Geisinger Medical Center. We discuss IgA nephropathy and the newly released, comprehensive 2025 KDIGO guidelines. We explore what IgAN is, why diagnosis is often delayed, how it commonly presents, and the impact the disease can have over a patient’s lifetime. Dr. Kalra also discusses what prompted the latest guideline revision, how thinking around IgAN has evolved, and what these changes signal for clinicians, health systems, and the managed care community. This podcast is supported by an independent medical education grant from Calliditas Therapeutics. AMCP offers CPE for this podcast through December 31, 2026. For additional information and to claim credit, please use the instructions provided here: AMCP Learn - claim CPE instructions

Personalized medicine has moved from concept to proven science—but implementation lags behind. In this episode of Unscripted, Daryl Pritchard, Senior Vice President of Science Policy at the Personalized Medicine Coalition, discusses how precision medicine is transforming care and where critical gaps remain. He shares findings from recent studies showing how many patients are still lost along the testing-to-treatment pathway, even in well-established areas like lung cancer, and explains what’s needed to bridge those gaps. The conversation highlights the role of payers, providers, and policymakers in aligning science, practice, and policy to deliver truly individualized care.

Precision medicine is reshaping oncology, yet gaps in testing, coverage, and care delivery still prevent many patients from receiving the right therapy at the right time. In this episode of Unscripted, AMCP’s Mitzi Wasik and Chief Science Officer Cate Lockhart discuss where fragmentation occurs across the health care system and why pharmacists, payers, providers, and pathologists all play a critical role in fixing it. They unpack challenges around guideline alignment, defining clinical utility, and payer decision-making, while also highlighting the growing momentum: stronger cross-sector collaboration, expanding education efforts, and new tools designed to bring more consistency, equity, and evidence-based access to precision oncology.

In this episode, we talk with Franck Rahaghi, MD, MHS, Executive Director of Cardiopulmonary Global Medical Affairs at United Therapeutics, about pulmonary hypertension in interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD), a serious and often under-recognized condition at the intersection of two progressive diseases. We discuss the importance of early recognition, the role of multidisciplinary care, emerging treatment options, and what patients, clinicians, and payers should know to improve outcomes.

In this episode, we talk with Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, MPH, Vice Chair of Clinical Trials and Innovation, Brigham & Women's Hospital Department of Dermatology. Dr. Mostaghimi discusses alopecia areata—an autoimmune disease that causes patchy or complete hair loss—its inflammatory basis, how severity is measured, and the profound psychosocial impacts on patients and families. He also reviews the latest FDA-approved therapies, evolving treatment guidelines, and what patients, clinicians, and payers should know as new options reshape care.

In this milestone episode of Unscripted, the AMCP Podcast, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP). Host Susan Cantrell, AMCP CEO, is joined by Laura Happe, PharmD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief of JMCP, and Pat Gleason, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FAMCP, Assistant Vice President, Health Outcomes at Prime Therapeutics to reflect on the journal’s evolution from its 1995 launch to today’s leading voice in managed care pharmacy. Highlights include JMCP’s role in shaping policy, advancing research, and tackling pressing issues such as drug pricing, equity, and access—while looking ahead to the future of pharmacy innovation and collaboration.