A strike is looming for Walgreens pharmacists — and customers have been warned to plan accordingly.
In protest against deteriorating working conditions, a large-scale strike by pharmacy staff is planned at locations across the country, which is rumored to be joined by other well-known pharmacy chain employees.
Walgreens pharmacists are preparing to go on strike to protest worsening working conditions. Photo credit: Getty Recent, smaller work stoppages have impacted customers’ access to healthcare. Therefore, they were warned in advance to plan strikes for the end of October. Photo credit: Getty
CNBC reported that these efforts, although still in the planning stages, are expected to result in a strike by the end of October.
As demand for jobs continues to increase during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmacy employees say they are overworked due to high expectations and understaffed staff.
Shane Jerominski, an independent pharmacist who works for Walgreens, confirmed the strikes are scheduled for Oct. 30 to Nov. 1.
Walgreens’ pharmacy segment generated the majority of its revenue, meaning these strikes could be a major blow to the already struggling company.
There have been recent walkouts by Walgreens pharmacists, but none on such an organized and large scale.
A pharmacist also spoke anonymously to Fox Business about the reasons for previous work stoppages.
“In an industry where a forgotten decimal point, number or letter can mean life or death for a patient, being understaffed and overworked really becomes a dangerous situation,” they said.
“It used to be an emergency if we had 20 prescriptions behind us, and now we’re well over a thousand… that means patients are going days and weeks without the medication they need.”
Jerominski, who is working closely on the strike project, says rallies will take place in areas with the “largest” strikes.
There have been discussions with several potential unions, including IAM Healthcare and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
Not only are pharmacists “completely overworked and exhausted,” but they also have safety concerns as some patients have become violent in the past.
In response to the previous strike, Walgreens said operations were only slightly affected.
Walgreens insists the strikes have only resulted in operational disruptions at “a small number of pharmacies.”
In a statement, the chain said: “We are committed and listening to the concerns of some of our team members.
“We are committed to ensuring our entire pharmacy team has the support and resources necessary to continue to provide the best care to our patients while caring for their own well-being.”
There’s no telling how this larger scale will impact Walgreens’ customers, particularly those who need medications.
Customers are asked to plan accordingly to ensure they have all necessary medications available.