Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

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In this paper, I assess the current state of the opioid epidemic in the United States which has caused countless deaths since the 1990s. I analyze the current state of the pharmaceutical industry and how it is involved in perpetuating the opioid crisis in the United States through its supply

In this paper, I assess the current state of the opioid epidemic in the United States which has caused countless deaths since the 1990s. I analyze the current state of the pharmaceutical industry and how it is involved in perpetuating the opioid crisis in the United States through its supply chain. I identify four main issues which lead to the continuation of the opioid crisis: the shift to a continuous manufacturing model, the consolidation of pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical companies' influence on medical professionals prescribing opioids to patients and the creation of an informal supply chain in which patients distribute their unused prescription pills. To address these issues and alleviate the problem of the opioid crisis caused by supply chains I propose that pharmacy benefit managers implement blockchain technology to increase supply chain visibility, increasing buyer power in the market and developing a reverse logistics system within the supply chain to dispose of unused prescriptions.
ContributorsHicks, Kyle (Author) / Keane, Katy (Thesis director) / Konopka, John (Committee member) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05