Dr. Essien Unpacks Why Black Patients Miss Out On Key Meds

Life-saving medications are being developed at an incredible pace, yet a critical problem persists: these vital treatments often fail to reach the communities that need them most. Dr. Utibe Essien, a distinguished internal medicine physician and Assistant Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is at the forefront of tackling this issue through his concept of "pharmacoequity."

Essien coined the term in 2021, defining it as the effort to ensure that everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, social class, or neighborhood, has affordable and equal access to crucial medications. He points out a stark reality: despite years and billions of dollars invested in drug discovery, these medical breakthroughs frequently do not make it into the hands of Black patients, who face disproportionate health burdens. This pattern of inequity is not new, as Essien has highlighted in various discussions, including a recent interview with "Rolling Out Health IQ" in May 2026.

His dedication to health equity is deeply personal and professionally grounded. Born prematurely to Nigerian immigrants, Essien's own early experiences with health disparities ignited his passion for this field. He pursued extensive medical training, earning his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine before completing his internal medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He further solidified his expertise with a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Currently, beyond his research and teaching roles, he also serves as the Assistant Vice Chair of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence within the UCLA Department of Medicine. His significant contributions have earned him national recognition, including being named one of 10 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine by the National Academy of Medicine in September, an honor that preceded a January 2025 interview about the award.

Essien's research consistently demonstrates how Black patients have historically been, and continue to be, overlooked in medical care. He notes that studies from as far back as the 1960s revealed Black patients with high blood pressure were less likely to receive prescribed medications compared to white patients. This disturbing trend continued through major public health crises, including the HIV epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, where Black individuals consistently received new, life-saving treatments at lower rates. Today, Essien observes the same disparities with GLP-1 medications, which are vital for treating obesity and heart disease.

A significant portion of Essien's work focuses on cardiovascular disease, a field he describes as "literally dear to my heart" due to his mother's experience with preeclampsia during his birth. This focus is critical because cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death in the United States and, specifically, the primary cause of mortality among Black individuals. His research, including a study discussed in a June 2022 interview with Elevance Health, uncovered that within the Veterans Health Administration system, Black patients were up to 26% less likely to receive the most effective blood thinners for stroke prevention, even when these treatments were considered standard of care.

Essien attributes these persistent disparities, in part, to "unconscious bias" among healthcare providers. He explains that "we may have certain assumptions about patients that are irrelevant to health care and because of that, we fail to offer them the full breadth of medical treatment." He further connects these biases to a problematic historical context, stating that "a lot of these conversations stemmed from centuries of false beliefs about the differences between Black and white bodies — differences that feed into the algorithms that we use to care for patients." These ingrained beliefs, he suggests, continue to shape medical practices and contribute to unequal outcomes.

The concept of pharmacoequity is gaining momentum as a crucial framework for addressing these systemic issues. Organizations like Elevance Health have begun to prioritize pharmacoequity alongside other critical areas such as maternal and behavioral health, recognizing its importance in advancing equitable care. Essien's advocacy shines a light on the urgent need for a healthcare system where innovative treatments are accessible to all, not just a privileged few.

His work underscores that simply developing new medications is not enough; the true measure of progress lies in ensuring these life-changing therapies reach every individual who needs them. The ongoing efforts to dismantle these deeply entrenched disparities will continue to shape the future of health equity, pushing for a system that truly serves everyone, regardless of their background.