Nigerian Pharmacist Publishes U.S. Opioid Equity Study, Secures $500,000 in Scholarships

A Nigerian pharmacist and healthcare researcher, Patrick Oliorah, has published a peer-reviewed study in the United States examining racial and socioeconomic disparities in opioid treatment, while also securing over $500,000 in scholarships from leading American institutions.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Oliorah said the study, published in the international medical journal Cureus, analysed nationally representative U.S. data spanning 2016 to 2021 to assess whether efforts to reduce opioid prescriptions have been applied equitably across racial and ethnic groups.

The research comes against the backdrop of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, where official data indicate that more than 80,000 opioid-related deaths occur annually and about 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorder. He also noted that over 50 million adults live with chronic pain, increasing the risk of opioid exposure.

According to Oliorah, the study found that although opioid prescribing has declined following updated clinical guidelines, disparities remain significant. Black patients, he said, were markedly less likely to receive opioid therapy than White patients, even after adjusting for income level, insurance status and other clinical factors.

“Reducing opioid misuse is essential, but equity must remain central. Pain management should not depend on race or socioeconomic status. If policy reform does not translate into fair access, then the system still needs redesign,” he stated.

He further emphasised the economic implications of opioid misuse, noting that the crisis costs the U.S. economy more than $1tn annually through healthcare spending, lost productivity and criminal justice involvement. He argued that addressing the epidemic requires broader systemic reforms beyond prescription control.

“The opioid epidemic is not just a medical issue. It is a systems issue. Solving systems challenges requires interdisciplinary thinking — medicine, finance, policy and technology working together,” he added.

A graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Oliorah said his work has evolved from patient-level care to healthcare systems innovation, including a proposed specialty pharmacy model aligned with updated opioid prescribing guidelines and recovery-focused policy initiatives in the U.S.

Beyond research, he has earned multiple merit-based scholarships and admissions offers from top U.S. business schools, including Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business, Emory University Goizueta Business School, SMU Cox School of Business and the University of Houston, with total awards exceeding $500,000.

Oliorah is set to begin his MBA at Rice University in 2026, where he plans to deepen his work at the intersection of healthcare innovation, finance and technology. He noted that Houston’s ecosystem, anchored by the Texas Medical Center, offers strategic opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration.

He said he intends to leverage innovation platforms such as the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the Lilie Lab for Entrepreneurship and the OwlSpark Accelerator to transform research insights into scalable healthcare ventures.

“These platforms provide more than academic instruction. They are launchpads that create ecosystems where ideas evolve into ventures. My goal is to move from research insights into models that operate in real communities,” he said.

Oliorah also expressed interest in collaborating with the Houston Methodist–Rice Digital Health Institute, which focuses on digital innovation, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and expanded telemedicine access.

In addition to his academic achievements, he has been selected for competitive programmes including the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, the No Patient Left Behind Biotech Fellowship, the Humana Summer Health Research Program and the Llama Impact Accelerator Programme.

With his recent publication, international academic recognition and innovation-driven outlook, Oliorah is emerging among a new generation of Nigerian professionals contributing to global discussions on health equity, systems reform and technology-enabled healthcare transformation.