Pharmacy staff at multiple Walgreens outlets in the United States are holding walk-off protests citing overwork and dissatisfaction about work environments.
Pharmacies at certain Walgreens locations in Arizona, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington were closed on Monday, according to CNN. Several pharmacies that remained open were severely understaffed, with only some able to operate their drive-thru services. Others decided to shut shop early due to a shortage of staff. The employee protests are not held under any labor unions, rather, workers are organizing and coordinating walkouts independently via platforms like Facebook and Reddit.
A roughly two-week-old Reddit post from a Walgreens employee, calling for walkouts between Oct. 9 and 11, claimed that the management “continued to cut hours while adding more tasks,” which the worker said was unsafe for both the staff and patients.
“I have spent hours explaining to patients why we scheduled them an appointment for a vaccine we didn’t have. I’ve also given over 100 vaccines in a day all by myself while 600-plus leaflets lay on the counter. Two of my technicians walked out mid-shift. My pharmacy has historically been top of the chain, but these corporate demands are unrealistic and unfair to us and to our patients,” the person wrote.
“I’ve asked for help and voiced my concerns just as you have. They call you all whiners and tell you that you aren’t ‘meeting expectations.’ When will they meet our expectations? When will they give us the support to meet the expectations of our patients?”
In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, Walgreens said that “a small number of our pharmacies are experiencing disruptions.”
The company is “working to return these pharmacies to regular operations as quickly as possible,” it said while adding that a vast majority of these outlets remain open.
However, the pharmacy chain admitted that employees were overworked.
“We also understand the immense pressures felt across the U.S. in retail pharmacy right now. We are engaged and listening to the concerns raised by some of our team members. We are committed to ensuring that our entire pharmacy team has the support and resources necessary to continue to provide the best care to our patients while taking care of their own wellbeing. We are making significant investments in pharmacist wages and hiring bonuses to attract/retain talent.”
The protest at Walgreens pharmacy follows a similar walkout last month in which pharmacists at CVS in the Kansas City region shut down around 22 outlets over two weeks. CVS management then met with staff and assured them of higher pay and more support.
In addition to pharmacies, employees at other health care institutions have also gone on strikes in recent weeks.
On Sept. 25, members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee went on strike at the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, with the labor union raising concerns about safe staffing and workplace violence.
Last week, more than 75,000 workers employed at Kaiser Permanente hospital systems went on strike citing wage and staffing issues, which the labor union called the “largest health care worker strike in U.S. history.”
Stressed-Out Pharmacists
In an interview with The Washington Post, Michael Hogue, chief executive of American Pharmacists Association (APA), highlighted the issue of stress and safety concerns affecting pharmacy employees.
Both Walgreens and CVS are struggling to hire pharmacists and technicians as people do not wish to work in a high-stress environment where they have little support, he said. “We have a problem across the entire U.S. with inadequate staffing in community pharmacies.”
The CVS logo at a CVS HealthHUB location in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Pharmacies have also seen an increase in incidences of violence from frustrated customers over delayed filling of prescriptions and vaccine shortages, Mr. Hogue noted. “We’re having stories of patients coming in and screaming at the pharmacist and pharmacy technicians, violence … death threats,” he said. “It’s been really, really nasty and consumers are not patient.”
For many pharmacists, walking off the job is an unavoidable action, the APA executive stated.
When faced with a stressful situation, pharmacists are trained to “stop, evaluate the situation, determine the circumstances around them, and then take appropriate action to correct those circumstances so that they can proceed in a fully safe environment.”
“So, some pharmacies and some locations have determined that they cannot proceed safely without additional staff,” he said.
A survey of pharmacy staff conducted by APA last year found that personnel were facing difficulty in performing their duties effectively due to “work environment factors.”
Some of the factors identified as contributing to stress among pharmacy staff include poor training and increased harassment and bullying by patients. Staff were also stressed due to pharmacies adding more services to their offerings without the adequate support.
“There is no open mechanism for pharmacists and pharmacy personnel to discuss workplace issues with supervisors and management; if they try, the discussion is not welcomed or heard. This is concerning because feelings of not being listened to or valued are risk factors that can cause stress leading to occupational burnout,” the APA said.
Rebecca Snead, executive vice president and CEO of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA), called on organizations to review their policies and procedures to deal with incidences of bullying and harassment.
“Pharmacy personnel should not fear for their safety when providing patient care and serving their community’s health care needs,” she said.
Tions and shortages of medications during the COVID-19 pandemic, further exacerbating the stressful work environment for pharmacy staff.
According to Hogue, pharmacists are being asked to do more with fewer resources and support
What challenges are pharmacy staff facing due to medication shortages during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, pharmacy staff have been facing several challenges due to medication shortages. Some of these challenges include:
1. Increased workload: Pharmacy staff have had to deal with an increased workload and higher demands from patients as medications become scarce. This can lead to longer wait times and increased stress for staff.
2. Difficulty sourcing medications: Pharmacy staff frequently encounter challenges in sourcing medications due to supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. As a result, they may need to spend more time contacting different suppliers and pharmacies to find the required medications for patients.
3. Patient communication and education: Pharmacy staff are often responsible for informing and educating patients about medication shortages. This can involve explaining the reasons for the shortage, providing alternative medication options, or providing guidance on managing medication needs.
4. Medication prioritization: In cases of severe shortages, pharmacy staff may have to prioritize certain patients or conditions for medication allocation. This decision-making process can be complex and challenging, as they need to balance the needs of different patients and ensure equitable distribution of limited resources.
5. Increased risk of medication errors: With medication shortages, pharmacy staff may need to substitute medications or adjust dosages based on availability. This increases the risk of medication errors and requires meticulous attention to detail to ensure patient safety.
6. Emotional impact: Dealing with medication shortages can be emotionally draining for pharmacy staff, as they witness firsthand the impact on patients who may suffer due to the unavailability of essential medications. This can lead to feelings of frustration, helplessness, and moral distress.
Overall, medication shortages during the pandemic have significantly strained pharmacy staff, requiring them to adapt quickly, communicate effectively, and provide optimal care despite limited resources.
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