Courtney Wulffson
PharmD, MBA, MPH, BCPS 

Dr. Courtney Wulffson can pinpoint the exact moment she decided how to make her mark on pharmacy practice. She was a first-year student at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, and the chief pharmacy officer for University of Iowa Health Care visited her class.

“He explained some of the administrative and operational leadership roles that pharmacists can do. And for whatever reason, that day a switch flipped. I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to support patients by supporting the pharmacy team and making the system better.’”

Dr. Wulffson graduated with her PharmD in 2020 and pursued a two-year Health-System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership (HSPAL) residency in Portland, Oregon. From there, she landed at the renowned Mayo Clinic as a senior pharmacy operations manager within the health system. Every day, she’s doing exactly what she intended: working to improve the systems and operations that clinical pharmacists depend on, both locally in Wisconsin and across the Mayo Clinic enterprise.

I want to support patients by supporting the pharmacy team and making the system better.”

In this role, Dr. Wulffson has helped implement safety checks to prevent multi-dose insulin pens from accidentally being used on more than one patient. She’s set up automated alerts that remind hospital departments to audit their medication inventory monthly. Currently, she’s working with a pharmacy technician to standardize her health system’s approach to managing financial assistance programs for patients in need.

Every project milestone helps clinical pharmacists — and the broader healthcare team — provide the best possible care to as many people as possible.

“Pharmacy workflows, nursing workflows, provider practices … these are all things that happen behind the scenes. Patients and even other healthcare professionals might not be aware of them. I see my responsibility as setting up these systems on the back end so that they can be the most successful.”

In January 2026, she even traveled with the Mayo Clinic Global Health Program to Da Nang, Vietnam, where she spent time at two major public hospitals.

“Our conversations with the pharmacy teams focused on medication safety, workflow optimization, and how technology can be better leveraged to support safe and effective medication use. It was a great opportunity for shared learning and collaboration. I am already looking forward to going back next year!”

Back at home, Dr. Wulffson treasures her regular one-on-one meetings with her team, a safe space for them to challenge the status quo and share ideas. Many pharmacy initiatives have originated from these very conversations. It’s all part of her servant leadership philosophy. 

“I have staff that report to me, but really, I feel like I work for them. I want them to come talk to me, I want to have that relationship and rapport. … One piece of building that trust is that they know if they give me something, I will do what I say I’m going to do about it. [No matter the outcome,] I will report back to them.”

As a pharmacy leader, Dr. Wulffson also prioritizes balance and boundaries.

“I leave work every single day and go to a workout class. It’s something that I do for myself. I set an example for my team, so they feel like they can do the same. I want them to know that we’re all people who have things outside of work.”

Pharmacy workflows, nursing workflows, provider practices … these are all things that happen behind the scenes. I see my responsibility as setting up these systems on the back end so that they can be the most successful.”

Dr. Wulffson — who also holds master’s degrees in business administration and public health — looks forward to a long career in health-system pharmacy. For now, she is committed to making the most of every day.

“Whatever I do next, I’m really invested in what I’m doing right now … because that’s where the value comes from. When I started in this role, I was able to contribute because of previous experiences I’d had as a resident and things I saw as a student. So, I want to make sure that I get as much as I can out of my current experience, for as long as I can.”

For Dr. Wulffson, what does it mean to be your pharmacist?

“Being a pharmacist means being a resource for people who need me in the moment, whether it’s supporting the staff I work with every day, helping a friend who wants to know what’s safe to give their child with a fever, telling my husband what to take to help with his congestion, or advocating for my mom through her recent hip replacement surgery. It’s being an educator, a support, and a resource.”