Pavneet Kaur
(Photo: Karsten Moran)
By Kenna Caprio
Pavneet Kaur, PharmD’25 (Flor), was working at a CVS Pharmacy when she fell in love with patient care.
She chose FDU for pharmacy school and completed her Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) — clinical and nonclinical rotations in industry, community, hospitals and health care settings, where students work under preceptors who provide mentoring and resources.
Her first rotation, with Evernorth, was as a pharmacy benefit manager for Cigna Healthcare. Evernorth handles Cigna’s formulary, so she looked at future trends.
For example, “The flu is on the rise from the south and makes its way north. With vaccine rates down, we saw peak season in northern states in late September, rather than October. In southern states, the peak starts even earlier.”
Kaur looked at shingles trends in the Sikh and Indian cultures and also at GLP usage, which treats type 2 diabetes and is prescribed for obesity, both on and off-label.
“Having this general knowledge — how formularies work, how prior authorization works and an overview of pharmacoeconomics — helped me understand how decisions are made in managed care and how that impacts providers and patients.”
Her recent APPE was with BGB Group, a pharmaceutical marketing company. She reviewed prescribing information, publications and materials to help company executives understand the needs of clients and specific brands.
She investigated the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding associated with oral anticoagulation and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with atrial fibrillation.
And, she worked on the final presentation for Journavx (suzetrigine), a non-opioid medication used to treat adults with moderate to severe acute pain, now on the market.
These rotations allow students to gain practical experience as they apply knowledge and skills under the supervision of pharmacists and industry professionals.
Kaur says she’s exploring her career options now. “I know I want to focus on patient care, even if that means I do a residency and become a clinical pharmacist.