[Alexandria, Va]— AMCP has been honored with a 2026 ASAE Power of Associations Silver Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in recognition of its outstanding Patient Voice Initiative, an initiative that demonstrates the powerful role associations play in solving challenges, strengthening industries and professions, and improving communities.
The ASAE Power of Associations Awards recognize associations that leverage their unique ability to convene stakeholders, inspire collaboration, and drive meaningful change. Through innovative programs, partnerships, and advocacy efforts, award recipients exemplify how associations create lasting impact that extends well beyond the members they serve.
AMCP launched its Patient Voice Initiative in 2023 through its Thought Leadership Program to help ensure that health care decisions better reflect the needs, preferences, and lived experiences of patients. The initiative was created in response to growing recognition that, while patient perspectives are increasingly valued across the health care system, health care decision-makers often lack practical tools and pathways for incorporating those perspectives into coverage, access, and formulary decisions. By advancing patient engagement and the use of patient experience data (PED), AMCP is helping make patient-centered decision-making more consistent, actionable, and impactful.
The initiative brings together payers, patient organizations, researchers, and industry leaders to develop resources that translate patient input into decision-ready evidence. As part of its first phase, AMCP established a Patient Voice Advisory Group that developed the Engagement Framework for Payers and Patient Organizations to strengthen collaboration between payers and patient advocates. AMCP also published Guidance for Payers: Incorporating the Patient Voice into Decision-Making, which provides practical frameworks, templates, and real-world examples to help payers operationalize patient experience data and related patient-centered information in formulary review and coverage processes. Building on the Advisory Group's work, AMCP convened the Partnership Forum: Patient Input and Payer Decision-Making, bringing together 33 external stakeholders and 17 AMCP staff members for a two-day forum to identify opportunities for industry standards, actionable resources, and education that can support more meaningful integration of patient perspectives into payer decision-making.
Beyond these foundational resources, AMCP has engaged members, patients, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders through a broad range of collaborative efforts designed to advance patient-centered decision-making. The initiative has established partnerships with more than 35 external organizations representing diverse patient populations and perspectives. AMCP also developed the In Their Words collection, a series of patient videos that convey the patient journey from diagnosis through treatment, providing real-world context to support health care decision-making. In addition, AMCP created educational resources and a process to help members identify and engage patient representatives for Pharmacy & Therapeutics (P&T) Committees in response to emerging federal policies emphasizing patient experience, representation, and reported outcomes.
AMCP has continued to build on this work through research and stakeholder engagement efforts examining how patient experience data can be more effectively incorporated into payer decision-making. Most recently, the initiative convened the 2026 Patient Experience Data Partnership Forum to explore barriers, opportunities, and next steps for broader adoption of patient experience data. Participants identified priorities including payer education, guidance on interpreting patient experience data, improved communication of patient-centered evidence, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to address issues such as transparency, trust, and scientific validity. Together, these efforts are helping create a foundation for more informed, transparent, and patient-centered health care decisions while advancing AMCP's mission to improve patient health by ensuring access to high-quality, cost-effective medications and therapies.
"ASAE’s Power of Associations Awards recognize the very best of what our community can accomplish," said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP. "This recognition honors organizations that don't simply advance their own missions - they bring people together to solve complex challenges, strengthen industries and professions, and create lasting benefits for society. AMCP has demonstrated the vision, leadership, and commitment to make a meaningful difference, and we are proud to recognize the Patient Voice Initiative as one of this year's outstanding achievements."
“The Patient Voice Initiative was built on a simple but powerful idea: the people most affected by health care decisions should have a meaningful voice in them," said Susan Cantrell, Chief Executive Officer of AMCP. "This recognition reflects the commitment of our members, volunteers, patient partners, and staff who have worked together to strengthen the connection between patient experiences and health care decision-making. We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this effort and helped advance a more patient-centered future.”
To learn more about AMCP’s Patient Voice Initiative, visit https://www.amcp.org/patient-journeys.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jack Goldberg,
703-684-2633,
About AMCP
AMCP is the professional association leading the way to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. AMCP’s diverse membership of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biopharmaceutical professionals, and other stakeholders leverage their specialized expertise in clinical evidence and economics to optimize medication benefit design and population health management and help patients access cost-effective and safe medications and other drug therapies. AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans served by private and public health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, and emerging care models.
About The Power of Associations Awards
ASAE’s Power of Associations Awards recognize the association community’s economic and societal contributions locally, nationally and globally. ASAE will celebrate The Power of Associations Award recipients during its annual Summit Awards Dinner on September 22, 2026, at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.
AMCP offers a wide variety of educational opportunities, from events and webinars to online training.
