Veronika Wirtz, BPharm, MSc, PhD
Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Dept of Global Health

PhD, University of London
MSc, University of London

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.

2019 International Society in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety (ISPE): Fellow
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


Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program
11/05/2018 - 07/13/2023 (Subcontract PI)
Management Sciences for Health USAID


Evaluation of Novartis Access in Kenya - Scope of Work 6
04/01/2020 - 12/31/2021 (PI)
Sandoz International GmbH


Evaluation of Novartis Access in Kenya - Scope of Work 5
01/01/2019 - 12/31/2021 (PI)
Sandoz International GmbH


Amgen Access Metrics (Work Order #1)
05/01/2020 - 04/30/2021 (PI)
Amgen, Inc.


Developing a Measurement Framework for Roche Access Programs
04/22/2020 - 04/28/2021 (Co-PI)
PI: Peter Rockers, ScD
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Ltd.


Medicines price control interventions in Southeast Asia: policy review and recommendations for further research
08/01/2020 - 12/15/2020 (PI)
World Health Organization


Factors influencing the uptake of the tenofovir voluntary licensing program by eligible manufacturers and medicine purchasers in licensed countries
01/01/2019 - 10/15/2020 (PI)
Gilead Sciences, Inc.


Novartis Access Initiative Task Order 4
11/01/2017 - 10/31/2019 (Co-PI)
PI: Richard Laing, MBChB, MSc (CHDC) MD
Sandoz International GmbH


Country profiles of health technologies including medicines in the Americas: A pilot study
09/21/2018 - 12/28/2018 (PI)
Pan American Health Organization


Country collaborations on medicines: identifying opportunities to improve performance (Phase 1)
05/15/2018 - 06/10/2018 (PI)
World Health Organization


Showing 10 of 17 results. Show All Results


Title


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.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Samuel F Orubu E, Sutradhar I, Zaman MH, Wirtz VJ. Benchmarking national action plans on antimicrobial resistance in eight selected LMICs: Focus on the veterinary sector strategies. J Glob Health. 2020 Dec; 10(2):020414. PMID: 33110576
     
  2. Seiglie J, Serván-Mori E, Begum T, Meigs JB, Wexler DJ, Wirtz VJ. Predictors of health facility readiness for diabetes service delivery in low- and middle-income countries: the case of Bangladesh. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020 Sep 03; 108417. PMID: 32891691
     
  3. Aljadeeah S, Wirtz VJ, Nagel E. Outpatient Antibiotic Dispensing for the Population with Government Health Insurance in Syria in 2018-2019. Antibiotics (Basel). 2020 Sep 02; 9(9). PMID: 32887446
     
  4. Ashigbie PG, Laing RO, Wirtz VJ, Nkrumah N, Kemboi A, Nwokike J. Registration timelines of antiretroviral medicines in Ghana and Kenya. AIDS. 2020 06 01; 34(7):1093-1095.View Related Profiles. PMID: 32073445
     
  5. Ashigbie PG, Rockers PC, Laing RO, Cabral HJ, Onyango MA, Buleti JPL, Wirtz VJ. Availability and prices of medicines for non-communicable diseases at health facilities and retail drug outlets in Kenya: a cross-sectional survey in eight counties. BMJ Open. 2020 05 15; 10(5):e035132.View Related Profiles. PMID: 32414824
     
  6. Orubu ESF, Ching C, Zaman MH, Wirtz VJ. Tackling the blind spot of poor-quality medicines in Universal Health Coverage. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2020; 13:40. PMID: 32670594
     
  7. Umeh CA, Rockers PC, Laing R, Wagh O, Wirtz VJ. Public reporting on pharmaceutical industry-led access programs: alignment with the WHO medicine programs evaluation checklist. J Pharm Policy Pract. 2020; 13:5.View Related Profiles. PMID: 32226630
     
  8. Umeh CA, Rockers PC, Laing RO, Wagh O, Wirtz VJ. Pharmaceutical industry-led partnerships focused on addressing the global burden of non-communicable diseases: a review of Access Accelerated. Public Health. 2020 Apr; 181:73-79.View Related Profiles. PMID: 31958672
     
  9. Islam MD, Kaplan WA, Trachtenberg D, Thrasher R, Gallagher KP, Wirtz VJ. Impacts of intellectual property provisions in trade treaties on access to medicine in low and middle income countries: a systematic review. Global Health. 2019 12 30; 15(1):88.View Related Profiles. PMID: 31888688
     
  10. Newton PN, Bond KC. Global access to quality-assured medical products: the Oxford Statement and call to action. Lancet Glob Health. 2019 12; 7(12):e1609-e1611.View Related Profiles. PMID: 31708137
     
Showing 10 of 133 results. Show More

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

Bar chart showing 133 publications over 19 distinct years, with a maximum of 15 publications in 2013

YearPublications
20011
20032
20041
20054
20062
20072
20088
20094
20106
20117
201212
201315
20147
201512
201611
20176
201811
201914
20208


Recent (within 3 months)

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Older

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
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
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617.358.3046
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