Sarah Karlin-Smith
Research Director for Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program
Sarah Karlin-Smith is a research director for Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program. Her work explores how government policies and pharma industry lobbying influence how medicines are developed and approved, what diseases are prioritized by scientists, and who gets access to treatment and at what cost. She closely tracks and analyzes U.S. health policy impacting drug pricing, coverage, and reimbursement with the goal of advancing more equitable and fair pricing. She monitors activity in Congress, the courts, federal agencies such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Federal Trade Commission, and state and local governments.
Sarah spent 15 years as a journalist covering health policy and politics with a focus on drug development and pricing in the United States for Politico, Pink Sheet and FDA News. She regularly appeared on KFF Health News’ “What the Health” podcast and other local, national, and international TV and radio to explain the latest U.S. health care issues. Appearances included NPR’s “The Diane Rehm Show,” “1A,” and “On Point.” Sarah also moderated and appeared on panels at conferences, speaking on topics like drug shortages and COVID-19 vaccines. She completed a bioethics fellowship for journalists at Harvard Medical school, reported on a new medical and public health school model being pioneered in Rwanda as part of an International Women’s Media Foundation reporting fellowship and completed a health reporting fellowship at the National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine.