Michael Hogue, PharmD, CEO and executive vice president of the American Pharmacists Association, has issued a statement of support for the planned walkouts by Walgreens and CVS pharmacy employees that began Oct. 30.
The walkouts are expected to last three days over growing concerns about working conditions and staff shortages, according to CNN, but it is unclear at this time how large of a scale they will reach since most of these workers are not unionized.
"I have seen the burnout and frustration firsthand. While today Walgreens and CVS pharmacies are the focus of attention, I’ve also seen and heard clearly that corporate chain pharmacies are not the only place where pharmacists are being asked to work without adequate staff," Dr. Hogue said. "I've heard from pharmacists in hospital outpatient pharmacies, federal facilities, and mail facilities about the same burnout from inadequate staffing. Inadequate staffing is unacceptable in any setting. In many ways, the recent headline of a USA Today story is true, our pharmacy system is broken."
So far, Walgreens and CVS have confirmed to CNN that disruptions due to the walkouts have been minimal.