Pharmacy Workforce Conditions Drive 3-Day CVS, Walgreens Staff Walkout

Through Wednesday, November 1, 2023, patients may have more difficulty obtaining prescriptions or getting vaccinated at their local pharmacy.

According to a CNN report, CVS and Walgreens pharmacy staff began a three-day walkout on Monday to protest unfavorable working conditions that may compromise their ability to deliver safe and effective care.

Although the workers at these companies are not unionized, rhetoric in multiple mainstream news sources suggests that this may be a widespread and impactful walkout, building on previous strikes in Arizona, Washington, Massachusetts, and Oregon earlier this year.

Organizers told CNN that they expect the effects of the walkout to peak tomorrow; however, they have already received notice of concerns about closed or inoperable pharmacies due to the protests.

These walkouts are a byproduct of extensive strain on the pharmaceutical staff at these retail pharmacies.

Based on data from Statista, CVS and Walgreens were the two largest retail pharmacies in the United States in 2022. Pharmaceutical staff at the companies have been responsible for delivering care nationwide for decades. Most recently, retail pharmacy staff played an integral role in the fight against COVID-19, becoming a free and safe vaccination hub.

Well before the pandemic, however, pharmaceutical staff were overworked and under-rewarded. For example, Drug Topics notes that in 2019, 71% of pharmacists stated they had a high or excessive workload, yielding a burnout rate of 61.2%. 

However, as the pandemic progressed and pharmaceutical staff members’ role in public health efforts grew, the rates of burnout skyrocketed. In December 2021, the board of trustees at the American Pharmacist Association (APhA) issued a statement acknowledging the workforce issues in the pharmaceutical industry and further progression throughout the pandemic.

Protesters and previous company staff have cited multiple workforce concerns, including severe understaffing, refused sick leave, and more, as the primary cause of these walkouts. The APhA has previously linked long hours, harassment, high patient demand levels, insurance barriers, and staffing shortages as sources of burnout.

Beyond standard concerns about working conditions, organizations [AV1] also point to complicated payment models and insufficient reimbursement protocols as causes of pharmaceutical burnout.

Regardless of the reason behind the rising rates of burnout, it is incontestable that pharmaceutical burnout is a problem for both patients and providers. Burnout has led to worsening mental health outcomes among pharmaceutical professionals, which can cause anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or physical manifestations, such as cardiovascular issues and obesity.

Additionally, pharmacists who are burnt out are more likely to cause medical errors, deliver lower-quality care, and make mistakes that are linked to adverse patient outcomes.

Understanding these potential flaws should have steered companies to find solutions for the rising burnout rates. However, a lack of action from corporate leaders has led pharmacy staff to take matters into their own hands. Despite continued protests, sources tell CNN conditions are still not favorable. By staging this walkout staff might send a sign to leadership that something needs to change.

Multiple organizations, including the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and the APhA, support the staff. The APhA notes, “APhA stands with every pharmacist who participated in the walkout today. The bottom line is that we support every pharmacist’s right to work in an environment with staffing that supports your ability to provide patient care.”

The companies should consider multiple solutions to address burnout and incentivize pharmaceutical staff to return to work, including offering access to individual mental healthcare, properly staffing pharmacies to provide adequate support and allow for sick leave, evaluating and advocating for better payment models, and automating administrative tasks to minimize workload.