US Expert in Clinical Pharmacy and Harm Reduction at PMU
US pharmacist and academic Jordan Wulz is currently completing a research and teaching stay at the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) at the Institute of Pharmacy. With a focus on pain management, public health, and addiction disorders, he brings international expertise in clinical pharmacy and harm reduction to Salzburg. He serves as an Associate Professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, continues to work in an outpatient clinic, and supports patients with chronic pain and substance use disorders.
During his stay, the visiting scholar also discussed his motivation for his career and his work at PMU.
What inspired you to become a pharmacist?
“As a pharmacist, you can make a real difference in people’s lives. Pharmacists are experts in drug therapy and play a central role in the healthcare system. What’s especially important to me is supporting people with chronic pain or addiction disorders as best as possible—both physically and mentally.”
Why did you choose to come to PMU?
“PMU takes a very innovative approach to clinical pharmacy. I find the close collaboration between pharmacy, medicine, and nursing on one campus particularly exciting. This creates unique opportunities for interprofessional learning and joint research.”
First European Experience in Salzburg
This stay at PMU is also his first trip to Europe. He is accompanied by his wife and baby Jonah, his son. Until now, Salzburg was known to him primarily through the world-famous film The Sound of Music. “It actually looks exactly as I imagined it,” he says enthusiastically. He associates the city of Mozart with “mountains, Servus, and sausages.”
His workday at PMU is diverse: Professor Jordan Wulz teaches courses on pain management and harm reduction, supervises bachelor’s and master’s theses, and works on several research projects. His work includes international strategies for harm reduction in drug use, opioid-related addiction disorders, and a comparison of pain therapies in the US and Austria.
In addition, he visited addiction support facilities in Vienna and plans further collaborations with organizations in the D-A-CH region. Public events and workshops are also on the agenda, including a two-day Erasmus+ workshop on “Reducing Harm from Drug Use in Policy and in Practice.”
Harm Reduction as a Public Health Approach
A special focus of his work is on Drug Consumption Rooms—supervised drug consumption facilities. He first encountered this concept at a professional conference in the US in 2017. The idea immediately convinced him, as it combines several harm reduction measures: sterile consumption utensils, medical supervision, overdose prevention, and access to counseling and therapy.
Professor Wulz explains the importance of Drug Consumption Rooms: “At their core, they provide people who use drugs with a safe space. At the same time, they reduce the risk of overdoses and infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C. Many facilities also offer medical care, counseling, or social support.”
He sees pharmacists in a key role: “Especially in Austria, there is great potential to expand harm reduction services through pharmacies— such as distributing sterile syringes, providing safe usage instructions, or supporting opioid-based therapies,” says Wulz.
Looking to the Future
For the coming years, the visiting professor hopes to deepen the collaboration between Concordia University Wisconsin and Paracelsus Medical Private University. Possible initiatives include joint research projects, faculty exchange programs, or international student mobility. This would also give him the opportunity to return to Salzburg.
