For our project, we explored the growth of the ASU BioDesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) from a standard university research lab to a COVID-19 testing facility through a business lens. The lab has pioneered the saliva-test in the Western United States. This thesis analyzes the laboratory from various business concepts and aspects. The business agility of the lab and it’s quickness to innovation has allowed the lab to enjoy great success. Looking into the future, the laboratory has a promising future and will need to answer many questions to remain the premier COVID-19 testing institution in Arizona.

Early on in the pandemic, ASU leadership recognized an opportunity to involve the Biodesign Institute in an effort to keep local communities safe. Equipped with capital investments (and expertise) in diagnostic testing, university president Michael Crow tasked Dr. Joshua LaBaer - the executive director of Biodesign - to begin mapping out the lab’s logistic capabilities and operational plan. While initially testing through nasopharyngeal swabs, the Arizona Biodesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) eventually developed a saliva-based COVID-19 test that demonstrated higher efficacy and resource-efficiency. By maintaining rapid turnaround times for test results, the ABCTL has helped both the university population and local community operate safely. Lauded as a highly innovative testing site, the lab proved to be an essential asset as ASU, and the world, look to return to normalcy. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the ABCTL’s inception and development using multi-faceted approaches from the business realm. There will be five topics discussed which are: • Volume I- Stakeholder Theory and Analysis Regarding the COVID-19 Bio-design Institute at Arizona State University (Claire Agee), • Volume II- The Lab as a Business Within a University Environment (Samuel Cosgrove) • Volume III- A Managerial Economic Perspective (Michael Qian) • Volume IV- An Analysis of its Upstream Supply Chain ( Kyle Mattson) • Volume V- An Operations Management Perspective (Corinne English) After these volumes, there will be a discussion about the growth and sustainability of the laboratory looking into the future. Although the ABCTL is young,the ever-changing market dynamics leave the organization with critical decisions going forward.

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on telemedicine-prescribed controlled substances by discussing the opinions of pharmacists holding an Arizona pharmacy license. To accommodate the rapid changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government adapted pharmacy laws to better support the healthcare community. The use of remote healthcare services such as telemedicine visits and online pharmacy services dramatically increased during the pandemic, so regulators waived tele-health restrictions like the Ryan Haight Act. This study involved structured interviews with 3 participants. The interviews revealed a positive outlook on the future of telehealth and the possibilities of modernizing healthcare and pharmacy. The study suggests that the waiving of the Ryan Haight Act was perceived somewhat positively by pharmacists, although they still had concerns regarding abandoning parts of the Act from a patient safety standpoint. The study concludes that certain pharmacy and telemedicine regulations are outdated given the positive and negative outcomes of these laws during the global pandemic. While this study offers insights on bringing various healthcare and law arguments together, the small sample size results in limited scope. The study still provides points of discussion to offer recommendations for implementation of the Ryan Haight Act and other similar tele-health and online-pharmacy regulations.

This research project dives deep into the current aluminum can shortage in the craft beer industry. More specifically, this paper will explore how aluminum cans became the dominant beer package compared to glass bottles, give a brief comparison of the environmental and taste benefits of aluminum cans and glass bottles, determine what caused the current excess in demand for aluminum cans, and show how this shortage is currently affecting the brewing industry. Due to the unprecedented increase in demand for packaged beer and supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, projections indicate that can manufacturers will not be able to meet industry demand for another three to four years. Although it may seem like an easy option for breweries to switch to packaging their beer in glass bottles until aluminum cans become more readily available, many breweries do not have this ability because they do not own a bottling machine. Cans are better for the environment and the taste of the beer than glass bottles, so most breweries bought only a canning machine to package their products. Because of this, however, many small breweries recently have been unable to package their products due to their inability to purchase cans from large can manufacturers. Considering this, this paper will also investigate potential beer packaging substitutes for aluminum and glass that could be implemented both now and in the coming years so breweries can still produce products during the current shortage and any that may occur in the future. However, a shortage caused by a worldwide pandemic, and the policy response that led to an excess in consumer demand that cannot be met by the current supply chain infrastructure, is not unique to the brewing industry. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to understand how supply chain induced shortages created by the coronavirus pandemic can affect an industry and how firms can work creatively to analyze options and overcome these obstacles.