Global health as a new practitioner: From participation to leadership

By Orion Jucja, PharmD, MSc

I used to associate global health with senior roles and long careers. That assumption started to change early in my professional path, when I found myself in discussions about medication decisions made with limited input from pharmacists.

My training and work across Albania, Italy, and the United States exposed me to different health systems and regulatory environments. Despite these differences, one issue remained the same. Medications are located at the center of public health decisions, although practical knowledge about how they are approved, monitored, accessed, and used is not always represented in policy discussions.

Operational rather than abstract

My early professional experience in Europe focused on regulatory science and patient-oriented pharmacy practice. I worked with frameworks governing patient care, medication approval, safety monitoring, and post market surveillance. These experiences clarified to me that regulatory decisions are not theoretical. They affect patient access to quality care, continuity of care, and risk management. This was my first clear exposure to global health as something operational rather than abstract.

That understanding expanded during my time in the United States through the Fulbright– Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. At Virginia Commonwealth University and the National Institutes of Health, I observed how pharmacists, including myself, worked alongside public health professionals, clinicians, and researchers on issues such as medication safety, substance use disorders, and health literacy. In these environments, pharmacists were important to explain regulatory constraints, interpret evidence, and clarify how policies translate into practice. Their role was defined by function and responsibility, not by seniority.

What stood out to me was how influence in these environments was built. It did not depend on titles or years in practice, but on preparation, consistency, and the ability to communicate clearly across disciplines. Through participation in professional networks and policy focused initiatives, I saw how early career professionals could contribute by connecting perspectives across countries, institutions, cultures, and practice settings. Often, the value lies in understanding how systems differ and where similar challenges appear.

Early career engagement is realistic

For new practitioners, global health can seem distant or premature. My experience suggests that early engagement is realistic and useful. Early career pharmacists bring recent training, familiarity with emerging tools, and direct awareness of system gaps. These perspectives are relevant to discussions on access, safety, and workforce planning, particularly when health systems are under pressure to adapt quickly.

Global health is not a separate track in my professional work. It is present in how I approach medications, regulation, and health systems more broadly. Pharmacists are not only responsible for medications at the point of care. We are part of the systems that determine how medications reach patients and how safely they are used. Participation is often the entry point, but responsibility increases as practitioners remain engaged, contribute in a consistent way, and take part in decisions that affect care beyond a single setting.

Orion Jucja, PharmD, is a PhD researcher in pharmaceutical and public health sciences at the University of Camerino and a professional affiliate with the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health. He also serves as affiliate faculty in the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science. Outside of academia and policy, he holds leadership roles in sports governance, plays rugby internationally, and remains engaged in community and public health initiatives.