A Nigerian pharmacist and healthcare researcher, Patrick Oliorah, has published a peer-reviewed study in the U.S. examining racial and socioeconomic disparities in opioid treatment, securing more than $500,000 in scholarships across leading American institutions.
Oliorah in an interview with The PUNCH said the study, published in the international medical journal Cureus, analysed nationally representative U.S. data from 2016 to 2021 to determine whether efforts to reduce opioid prescriptions have been equitable across racial and ethnic groups.
The findings come amid a persistent opioid crisis in the United States.
“Official data show that more than 80,000 opioid-related deaths occur annually, while about 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorder. Additionally, over 50 million adults — nearly one in five — live with chronic pain, placing millions at risk of opioid exposure,” he said.
Oliorah’s research revealed that although opioid prescribing had declined following updated clinical guidelines, disparities remain pronounced.
Black patients were significantly less likely to receive opioid therapy compared to White patients, even after adjusting for income, insurance coverage 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,” Oliorah said
He noted that opioid misuse costs the U.S. economy over $1 trillion annually due to healthcare expenditures, lost productivity and criminal justice involvement, stressing that reforms must extend beyond prescription limits.
“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 the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Oliorah has expanded his focus from patient-level care to healthcare systems innovation.
His proposed specialty pharmacy model aligns with updated CDC opioid prescribing guidelines and federal initiatives such as the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, both of which promote non-opioid treatment strategies and expanded recovery services.
Beyond research, he has earned merit-based scholarships and admissions offers from several top U.S. business schools, including the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business, Emory University Goizueta Business School, SMU Cox School of Business and the University of Houston.
The cumulative value of scholarships awarded exceeds $500,000.
He 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.
Located in Houston — home to the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex — Rice offers a strategic environment for multidisciplinary collaboration.
Oliorah said he intends to leverage platforms such as the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the Lilie Lab for Entrepreneurship and OwlSpark Accelerator to translate research into scalable healthcare ventures.
“These platforms provide more than academic instruction.
“They are launchpads. They create ecosystems where ideas evolve into ventures. My goal is to move from research insights into models that operate in real communities,” he said.
He also expressed interest in collaborating with the Houston Methodist–Rice Digital Health Institute, a joint initiative between Rice University and Houston Methodist focused on digital innovation, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and expanded telemedicine access.
“Houston is building one of the most powerful health-technology ecosystems in the world.
“Being at Rice, within the Texas Medical Center, places me at the center of that transformation. I intend to learn, collaborate and contribute in ways that make scalable healthcare innovation possible,” Oliorah said
In addition to scholarships, 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.
Oliorah’s professional experience spans healthcare and corporate finance. While in Houston, he contributed to governance reviews within a $285m Order-to-Cash revenue cycle and supported due diligence planning tied to a $500m cross-border acquisition.
“The future of healthcare belongs to leaders who can bridge medicine, technology and capital,” he added. “Rice provides the environment to turn that vision into measurable impact.”
With his recent publication, international academic recognition and forward-looking innovation strategy, Oliorah joins a growing cohort of Nigerian professionals shaping global conversations on health equity, systems reform and technology-driven healthcare transformation.