At the FDA, an Iowa Alum Focuses on Mission-Driven Medicine

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: NICK BEECHER

As associate director of the Drug Shortage Staff at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Valerie Jensen (90BSPh) spends her days focused on a single mission: getting medicine to Americans who need it. Jensen, who received a University of Iowa College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Award in 2024, has built a lifelong career from her determination to help others.

PHOTO COURTESY VALERIE JENSEN

“At the FDA, we are passionate about what we do,” says Jensen. “Everyone really does have patients at the forefront of their minds.”

Jensen first learned about the possibilities of a career in pharmacy as a UI undergrad and Daily Iowan volunteer reporter. While working for the newspaper, she interviewed College of Pharmacy professor Charles Barfknecht, whose enthusiasm inspired her to apply to pharmacy school.

After graduation, Jensen became a commissioned officer for the U.S. Public Health Service, where she worked with Native American populations in Arizona and New Mexico. After completing a residency in ambulatory care, she was a clinical pharmacist for nearly a decade.

“At the FDA, we are passionate about what we do. Everyone really does have patients at the forefront of their minds.” —Valerie Jensen

In 1999, she shifted course, joining the FDA as a product manager. The same year, she noticed rising concerns about technology failures and medical supply chain issues among her coworkers. They soon developed the Drug Shortage Staff to ensure that patients wouldn’t lose access to the medicine they needed. Jensen has served as associate director of the program since 2012.

Day to day, Jensen’s team works with companies to address manufacturing and supply issues and investigate the causes of supply chain breakdowns. Jensen emphasizes that each case requires not just medical knowledge, but also plenty of teamwork and creative problem-solving.

“It’s really communication,” says Jensen. “It’s all about talking to the companies, following up with them, and making sure that supplies are meeting patient needs.”

Beyond logistics, Jensen believes educating the next generation of pharmacists and medical professionals will make a lasting impact. As a preceptor for UI pharmacy students, she runs regular internships at the FDA, teaching them what it takes to work in drug shortage prevention.

“Having Iowa students has been a great experience,” says Jensen. “I learn so much from them, probably more than they learn from me.”

One thing Jensen hasn’t had to learn is dedication. Just days after retiring as a commissioned officer in 2020, she returned to her position as a civilian to handle the COVID-19 crisis.

Five years later, she’s still going strong in the fight to make medicine accessible and affordable for all. For Jensen, the challenge of the work means she’s exactly where she needs to be.

“It’s been a very long and rewarding career,” she says. “I feel like I’m making a difference, and as long as I can say that, I wouldn’t change a thing.”