Professional Presentations & Papers
On this page, list any professional presentations and papers. Provide a summary of each. Include the context within which you delivered this material (conference, invited speaker, etc), as well as the date of the presentation. When possible, link to or embed the relevant presentation material or paper.
2022 Epidemiology Study Design Project
Abstract:
Breast cancer mortality in Arkansas is disproportionately increased for African American women compared to Caucasian women. This study aims to establish an association between distance to treatment and financial strength in the clinical staging of carcinoma at first diagnosis in African American women in Arkansas. Following a cross-sectional study design, researchers will survey African American women diagnosed with breast cancer in the last ten years. Participants will be prompted with questions about financial strength and distance to medical facilities. Furthermore, participants will be queried on the stage and type of breast cancer based on the original diagnosis. Data collected from surveys will be stratified to determine the strength of the association of distance, financial strength, and severity of breast cancer stage. It is expected that distance will have a proportional correlation to the tumor stage, while financial strength will be inversely proportional. The association of financial strength is favored to have a stronger association than distance on the initial tumor stage at initial diagnosis.
2021. Global Affordability and Availability of Vital Medications written to address health equity and pharmaceutical affordability for course on environmental health law.
Abstract:
Vital medications needed by patients can be exceedingly difficult to afford. This problem is underscored in developing countries such as Pakistan, where drug availability is constrained by socioeconomic status (Saeed & Saeed et al., 2019). Anti-competitive behaviors prevent affordable generic medications from entering the market. Patents prevent or slow bio-similar drugs, which only hurts consumers forced to pay high prices (Carrier 2019). Some countries with socialized healthcare shoulder high drug costs; to accomplish this, drugs on the market are screened for cost-effectiveness. Globally, common health problems such as “hypertension, diabetes, ulcers, and arthritis” are challenging to treat due to economic constraints (Saeed & Saeed et al., 2019). A good illustration is global insulin affordability, a quagmire commonly mentioned anecdotally in discussions of drug prices. Insulin is a primary treatment for diabetes, and with price increases of 555% between 2001 and 2015, it is a focal point of the drug availability debate. This debate has erupted to such an extent; it has compelled researchers to devise an insulin analog and release instructions to the public (Gallegos & Pauwels et al., 2018). Daraprim entered the spotlight for its 5000% price increase is another shining example of affordability in pharmaceuticals (Carrier & Levidow et al. 2016). Drug prices and availability need to be tackled through well-constructed policies. Capitalistic motivations cannot be allowed to price drugs for shareholder profits. Political leaders can address some of these issues keeping drug prices high; however, changes should not be at the cost of innovation.