PAGET’s Professor of Geography Dr. Jia Lu and her students, Anthony Oliveira and Marcus Ben Singletary, recently co-authored a paper titled “Pharmacy Disparities in Rural Georgia” that was just accepted by the peer-reviewed Journal of Rural and Community Development. (To find out more about the Journal of Rural and Community Development, click here: https://journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/about).
The study analyzed geographical patterns of spatial equity of pharmacy using GIS technology. Results suggest that many pharmacy deserts exist in Georgia, and large urban areas have more access to pharmacies than rural areas and small cities. Rural areas could experience the adverse effects of pharmacy deserts more than non-rural areas. There is a clear, positive relationship between rural counties and a lower number of pharmacies. Relationships between pharmacy locations and various racial and demographic variables were also explored. Policy suggestions were proposed to increase access in pharmacy deserts.
Want to know more about the authors? Their biographies can be found below.
Dr. Jia Lu holds a Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning from Ohio State University with minors in Geography, GIS, Quantitative Analysis & Urban Economics. She teaches courses in Regional Planning and Environmental Management, Urban Community Planning, World Regional Geography, Introduction to Land Forms, and GIS Applications in Planning and her research interests include population and employment analyses, urban modeling, spatial analyses, GIS applications in planning and transportation, geography of China, city planning and urban development, and environmental analyses.
Anthony Oliveira received a B.S. in Psychology in May 2021 from Valdosta State University and intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He works as a Registered Behavior Technician for The Conner Group for Pediatric Therapies, conducting ABA therapy for children diagnosed with autism. His interests include learning languages (having familiarity with nine), reading books, learning about psychological principles, spending time with his family and girlfriend, teaching his dog new tricks, and studying Christology and the historicity of religion.
Ben Singletary received a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences from Valdosta State University in August 2021. He is currently working at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission as a GIS analyst where he carries out mapping and data services for Valdosta, Lowndes, and surrounding communities. His hobbies include rock collecting, mainly variants of quartz such as amethyst, and astrophotography.
The College of Science and Mathematics congratulates Dr. Lu, Mr. Oliveira, and Mr. Singletary on their accomplishments!