First came news in 2022 that CVS was implementing a mandatory lunch break, during which pharmacies would shut down for 30 minutes each day, as a way to ensure pharmacists and technicians got a break from their hectic schedules. Then came a series of September/October 2023 walkouts, during which pharmacists from various CVS and Walgreens stores staged protests to highlight concerns about working conditions. As reported by NBC News, the protests – dubbed “Pharmageddon” – were intended to push the chains to hire more staff “and to eliminate policies that push [pharmacists] to work harder.”
All this comes at a time when pharmacists have never had a more prominent, more vital role in patient care. Consider a few eye-popping statistics:
– According to IQVIA, 60-70% of vaccinations during flu season (third and fourth quarters) take place at pharmacies. Pharmacies saw a 30-40% increase in claims submitted for flu vaccines between 2018 and 2020.
– Research by Wolters Kluwer Health found 58% of Americans are likely to visit a local pharmacy as a first step when faced with a non-emergency medical issue, with 81% saying they would trust a pharmacist, nurse, or nurse practitioner to diagnose a minor illness.
– Nearly 80% of patients consider pharmacists an integral component of their healthcare team, according to research by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
It’s a classic good news/bad news scenario: Pharmacies have become essential community wellness centers, but serious staffing issues threaten their ability to perform at the high levels they prefer, and patients deserve.
How bad is the staffing shortage? Among community pharmacies, 2022 research by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) found more than 70% had staff positions vacant, according to Drug Topics. “As a result,” the report noted, some pharmacies have had to adjust hours of operation.”
Help has arrived though, as pharmacies increasingly look to technology for relief. Not surprisingly, technology has kept pace with changing pharmacy needs and is ready to fill the void, namely by automating core processes, thereby freeing up valuable staff time for other purposes. Read more >
