Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD Hear my name
Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Global Health

PhD, University of London
MSc, University of London
BS, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Pronouns: she/her/hers



Veronika J. Wirtz, MSc, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health, where she is also Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center in Pharmaceutical Policy. Her research focuses on health system strengthening and policy and program evaluations of medicines access and utilization. She is a Visiting Professor of the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico.

Her interest and expertise include medicines price analysis, generic medicines policies, quality use of medicines, access to medicines for non-communicable diseases and the role of the private sector to promote equitable access and efficient use of medicines in low and middle income countries. Among other international studies Dr Wirtz carried out cross-national comparison of medicines consumption using large sales data bases to inform policy making about adequate use of medicines and prevention of antimicrobial resistance.

Between 2014 and 2016 she was the Co-Chair of The Lancet Commission on Essential Medicine Policies. The Commission had the goals of (1) re-confirming the ongoing relevance, and the crucial need of comprehensive essential medicines policies to achieve broader global health and sustainable development goals, especially universal health coverage and (2) formulating recommendations for global essential medicine policies for the next two decades. The Report of the Commission Essential Medicines for Universal Coverage was published in 2016.

From 2004 to 2012 she was researcher and lecturer at the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico and a founding member and Head of the Medicines in Public Health Research Group which is a multi-disciplinary team of 15 experts in health economics, epidemiology, social science carrying out pharmaceutical policy analysis in Mexico and Latin America. Over the last years she has regularly taught short courses in Pharmacoepidemiology and Medicines Utilization Research at INSP in Mexico.

She has worked as a technical adviser for various international organizations, among them the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Bank, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Alliance for Health Systems and Policy Research, Health Action International and the Ford Foundation. She has also worked with the Ministry of Health in Mexico on various program evaluations and capacity building initiatives. She published widely in international peer review journals such as The Lancet, British Medical Journal, World Health Organization Bulletin, Health Policy and Planning, Health Policy, Value in Health, Social Science and Medicine, Tropical Medicine and International Health. Since Fall 2016 she is Associate Editor of Health Systems & Reform, a leading journal publishing health system and policy research.

She received her training as a pharmacist from Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany and her Master in Clinical Pharmacy and PhD from the University of London in the UK.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) are core to my work as a public health researcher, educator and practitioner. According to the BUSPH’s motto Think, Teach, Do, my contribution to DEIA touches all three dimensions:
Think: My research centers on equity, namely increasing equitable access to medicines and health technologies around the globe. For nearly 20 years I have generated knowledge and insights to improve policies that would enhance equity in medicines access.
Teach: Creating a classroom environment that fosters equal learning opportunities for students from different backgrounds and various learning styles and abilities is core to my teaching philosophy. I am attentive to students' needs and I accommodate each and every one accordingly. I create an open learning environment that allows students to contribute in class and outside the classroom. Feedback from my students and teaching assistants over the past 10 years at BUSPH shows this.
Do: I am the co-founder and faculty lead of Emerging Women Leaders, a career mentoring program for doctoral students at BUSPH. The mission of the program is to encourage more women and other groups historically underrepresented in high-level public health positions, including Black, Latinx, disabled and queer, to engage in leadership and to foster inclusive work environments. Since the inception of the program in 2019 over 40 students from all 5 doctoral programs have taken part in the year-long mentor circles and benefitted from the career mentoring and workshop.


Harmonizing Industry Reporting on Access
10/19/2023 - 08/31/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation


World Health Organization (WHO) Global NCD Reporting Mechanism
01/01/2024 - 12/31/2024 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
World Health Organization


World Health Organization (WHO) Global NCD Reporting Mechanism
05/22/2023 - 12/31/2024 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
World Health Organization


Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program
11/05/2018 - 12/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
Management Sciences for Health USAID


Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program
01/13/2023 - 12/31/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Management Sciences for Health USAID
7200AA18C00074

Metrics for UCB’s new Epilepsy Patients Reach (EPR) Mumbai Pilot
01/01/2022 - 06/30/2023 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
The King Baudouin Foundation


Boston University Collaboration with Global Patient Solutions
11/16/2021 - 06/30/2023 (PI)
Gilead Sciences, Inc.


Medicines price control interventions in Southeast Asia: policy review and recommendations for further research
08/01/2020 - 03/31/2022 (PI)
World Health Organization


Amgen Access Metrics (Work Order #1)
05/01/2020 - 12/31/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
Amgen, Inc.


Developing a Measurement Framework for Roche Access Programs
04/22/2020 - 12/31/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd.


Showing 10 of 24 results. Show All Results


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Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

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  1. Aljadeeah S, Payedimarri AB, Kielmann K, Michielsen J, Wirtz VJ, Ravinetto R. Access to medicines among asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants across the migratory cycle in Europe: a scoping review. BMJ Glob Health. 2024 Oct 15; 9(10). PMID: 39414330; PMCID: PMC11481121; DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015790;
     
  2. Jenei K, Wirtz VJ. Measuring access to essential medicines in the sustainable development goals. Bull World Health Organ. 2024 Aug 01; 102(8):555-555A. PMID: 39091967; PMCID: PMC11276153; DOI: 10.2471/BLT.24.291399;
     
  3. Ching C, Zaman MH, Wirtz VJ. Evaluation of Surveillance Strategies of Antimicrobial Consumption in Animals. Antibiotics (Basel). 2024 May 29; 13(6).View Related Profiles. PMID: 38927172; PMCID: PMC11200743; DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13060505;
     
  4. Vogler S, Zimmermann N, Haasis MA, Knoll V, Espin J, Mantel-Teeuwisse AK, Panteli D, Suleman F, Wirtz VJ, Babar ZU. Innovations in pharmaceutical policies and learnings for sustainable access to affordable medicines. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2024; 17(Suppl 1):2335492. PMID: 38757122; PMCID: PMC11095271; DOI: 10.1080/20523211.2024.2335492;
     
  5. Wirtz VJ, Gray AL, Sharma S, Sun J, Hogerzeil HV. Refocusing the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines on the needs of low and middle income countries. BMJ. 2024 Apr 16; 385:e077776. PMID: 38626944
     
  6. Alattas M, Gordon S, Sabin LL, El-Jardali F, Wirtz VJ. Equity and unmet need of non-communicable diseases services in Saudi Arabia using a National Household Survey (2019). BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Mar 16; 24(1):346.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38491481; PMCID: PMC10943914; DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10787-6;
     
  7. Koya SF, Ganesh S, Selvaraj S, Wirtz VJ, Galea S, Rockers PC. Determinants of private-sector antibiotic consumption in India: findings from a quasi-experimental fixed-effects regression analysis using cross-sectional time-series data, 2011-2019. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 29; 14(1):5052.View Related Profiles. PMID: 38424115; PMCID: PMC10904839; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54250-2;
     
  8. Vargas López LC, Chávez Gallegos D, Blanco Borjas DM, Wirtz VJ. Medicines policy, access and use in Mexico: a systematic literature review 2000-2022. Drugs Context. 2024; 13. PMID: 38384930; PMCID: PMC10881114; DOI: 10.7573/dic.2023-7-3;
     
  9. Costa E, Moja L, Wirtz VJ, van den Ham HA, Huttner B, Magrini N, Leufkens HG. Uptake of orphan drugs in the WHO essential medicines lists. Bull World Health Organ. 2024 Jan 01; 102(1):22-31. PMID: 38164340; PMCID: PMC10753278; DOI: 10.2471/BLT.23.289731;
     
  10. Thrasher R, Kaplan W, Wirtz VJ, Clear L, Bodduluri SP, Polaski S. Policy responses to COVID-19: lessons for the global trade and investment regime. Global Health. 2023 Sep 01; 19(1):66.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37658444; PMCID: PMC10472676; DOI: 10.1186/s12992-023-00961-6;
     
Showing 10 of 198 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 194 publications over 23 distinct years, with a maximum of 19 publications in 2021

YearPublications
20011
20032
20041
20054
20062
20072
20088
20094
20106
20117
201212
201315
20147
201512
201611
20176
201811
201914
202016
202119
202216
202310
20248

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Retail drug outlets in low-and middle income countries: Successful interventions for reaching the most vulnerable
Evaluating Programs to Improve Access to Medicines
Two Years of COVID-19: Reforming Multilateralism to Support Pandemic Policy Responses
The Role of Pharmaceuticals in Public Health

BU Celebrates 7,600 Graduates at Buoyant 151st Commencement

BU Today 5/19/2024

Introducing the Winners of the 2024 Metcalf Awards, BU’s Top Teaching Honors

BU Today 5/15/2024

Does Russia Really Have A COVID-19 Vaccine?

Futurity 8/26/2020

Our View: Drug Prices: Trump Trade Deal Would Boost Prescription Prices

The Free Press 7/26/2019

'Big Pharma' is the big winner of the USMCA

The Hill 6/23/2019

Medicines that Harm: The Global Problem of Substandard Drugs

Facebook 4/11/2018

2023 Boston University School of Public Health : Excellence in Teaching Award for Dedication to Student Learning
2023 Boston University School of Public Health : Excellence in Research Mentoring Award
2022-2023 Boston University : Provost Mentor Fellow
2019 International Society in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (ISPE): Fellow
2019-2020 Health Systems Global: Co-Chair, Thematic Working Group Medicines in Health Systems
2017-2019 International Society in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (ISPE): Chair, Special Interest Group in Drug Utilization
2015 Boston University School of Public Health: Boston University School of Public Health: Excellence in Teaching Award
2014-2016 The Lancet Commission on Essential Medicines Policies: Co-Chair
2009-2014 National System of Researchers (SNI), National Council for Science and Technology, Mexico : Member
2009-2010 Coordinating Commission of the National Institutes of Health and Tertiary Hospitals, Mexico: Excellence in Research Productivity
2007 Research Conference of the National Institutes of Health and Tertiary Hospitals, Mexico: Nominee for Best Research Presentation
2007-2009 National System of Researchers (SNI), National Council for Science and Technology, Mexico: Awarded Membership as Candidate
1999-2003 School of Pharmacy, University of London: PhD Studies Scholarship
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Health Systems Research
Pharmaceutical Policy Research
Drug Utilization
Low Income Populations
Latin America

I am committed to mentoring. Throughout my career I have been mentoring MPH, DrPH and PhD students as well as peer faculty. I believe that mentoring and sponsorship are critical for career development.

My experience has been that there is a significant reciprocity when mentoring. I have enjoyed learning with and from the many mentees over my entire career. I think that good mentorship depends on the willingness and capability of both parties (mentor and mentee) to ask questions, challenge assumptions and introduce new ideas and perspectives.

I am the founding faculty of the Emerging Women Leaders Program, a career mentorship program for DrPH and PhD students at Boston University School of Public Health.

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
  • Advisor
  • Career Mentor
  • Co-Mentor or Peer Mentor
  • Diversity Mentor
  • Education Mentor
  • Project Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
Contact for Mentoring:
  • Email (see 'Contact Info')

801 Massachusetts Ave Crosstown Center
Boston MA 02118
Google Map

617.358.3046
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