On Monday, thousands of CVS Health Corp. (CVS.N.) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA.O.) U.S. pharmacy workers will stage a three-day strike to demand better working conditions and more significant hiring.
This “Pharmageddon” strike is the third major pharmacist strike in a month. CVS employees in Kansas City went on a two-day strike in September, while Walgreens employees did so earlier this month.
“Some of these stores are so grossly understaffed at the moment and just bogged down with prescriptions, immunization appointments, and walk-ins,” former Walgreens pharmacist and walkout organizer Shane Jerominski told Reuters.
Jerominski said organizers wanted excellent compensation and constant hours for technicians, who find, dispense, pack, and label patient medication under pharmacist supervision.
CVS officials had “continuous two-way dialogue” with pharmacists to resolve concerns, according to a representative.
Walgreens claimed it had helped its pharmacy personnel “concentrate on providing optimal patient care.”
“Our ongoing efforts are focused on how we recruit, retain, and reward our pharmacy staff,” a Walgreens representative told Reuters. They have also consolidated several functions to decrease the pharmacist burden.
This month, the business inaugurated its 11th mini-fulfillment facility, which fills prescriptions and allows “staff to spend more time with customers” to provide additional health goods and services.
The walkouts follow strikes by autoworkers, authors, and actresses, as well as Kaiser Permanente’s largest medical worker walkout earlier this month.
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