Many pharmacy employees at some of the largest U.S. drugstore chains, as reported by CNBC, are finding themselves at a breaking point. In addition to their traditional roles of verifying, filling, and dispensing prescriptions, pharmacists and support staff are burdened with additional responsibilities such as administering vaccines, addressing insurance issues, transferring prescriptions to other pharmacies, and providing care to numerous patients both in-store and over the phone. These workers are expressing concerns that companies like Walgreens and CVS are imposing unreasonable demands on them, all while failing to provide adequate staffing and resources to safely manage their tasks.
The frustration among pharmacy staff has been fueled by increasing workloads, understaffing, and cuts to their work hours. In response to these challenges, some pharmacy employees from Walgreens locations across the country and CVS stores in the Kansas City area have recently staged walkouts, with plans for further strikes from October 30 to November 1.
CNBC conducted interviews with employees from both Walgreens and CVS, including a pharmacist, two pharmacy technicians, and a store manager. These employees, all speaking on the condition of anonymity due to concerns of potential retaliation, revealed the toll taken on them by their demanding roles, which leave them exhausted after managing a multitude of tasks without sufficient support.
In 2022, CVS and Walgreens ranked as the largest pharmacies in the U.S. based on prescription drug market share. Both companies operate approximately 9,000 retail store locations throughout the United States. CVS boasts more than 30,000 pharmacists and 70,000 pharmacy technicians, while Walgreens employs over 86,000 healthcare service providers, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other healthcare professionals. The average hourly wage for CVS pharmacists is $61.44, while Walgreens pharmacists earn an average of $53.85 per hour, according to data from the employment website Indeed.
Walgreens has acknowledged the contributions of its pharmacists and technicians and is taking steps to enhance their working conditions. The company is focused on recruitment, retention, and rewarding pharmacy staff, along with implementing technological improvements and centralized operations to manage workloads more effectively.
Similarly, CVS recognizes the unprecedented demand and clinical workforce shortages in the healthcare industry and is making targeted investments in its retail pharmacy business. These investments include enabling teams to schedule additional support, enhancing recruitment and hiring of pharmacists and technicians, and strengthening pharmacy technician training, with these changes set to begin in November and continue into the next year.
The testimonies provided by pharmacy staff from Walgreens and CVS shed light on the demanding nature of their daily routines:
Walgreens Pharmacist:
- Shifts vary in duration from six to 12 hours on three to five days per week.
- Begins work at 8 a.m.
- Commences the day with paperwork tasks lasting 5 to 10 minutes.
- Checks medication stock and addresses undelivered prescriptions.
- Dedicates time to notifying patients about prescription readiness.
- Manages vaccination appointments and redirects patients to other locations when vaccines are unavailable.
- Juggles administering vaccinations with numerous other tasks, including addressing insurance issues and handling customer inquiries.
- Handles around 25 prescriptions per hour, out of an average of 300 per day.
- Often works through lunch breaks due to interruptions and urgent tasks.
Pharmacy Technicians from CVS, Walgreens:
- CVS pharmacy technician typically begins the shift at 7:50 a.m., working an eight-hour day.
- Manages new prescription orders, matches them with patient profiles, and prints labels.
- Addresses patient phone calls and manages customers at the drive-thru.
- Administers vaccines and restocks medications, among other responsibilities.
- Walgreens pharmacy technician typically works from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
- Faces high patient demand upon arriving for the evening shift.
- Addresses patient wait times due to understaffing and occasionally encounters frustrated patients.
- Extends working hours to complete closing duties and returns home feeling exhausted.
In some cases, employees who do not have designated pharmacy roles end up assisting pharmacists and technicians due to the overwhelming workload. For example, a CVS store manager contributes by working extended hours in the pharmacy, essentially volunteering their time to provide additional support.
The stories from these pharmacy employees underscore the challenges they face, including immense workloads and the strain on their mental and physical well-being, highlighting the need for support and resources to maintain quality patient care.
