Understaffing at some retail pharmacies across the U.S. is compromising patient safety and making it difficult for patients to get their medications.
Chronic understaffing at CVS pharmacies in Virginia is compromising patient safety, a report published Oct. 11 in Virginia Mercury said.
A CVS pharmacy in Virginia Beach was subject to a $427,000 fine earlier this year after a 600-page state investigation detailed the understaffing issue, which created an "unsustainable" workload that made it impossible for pharmacists to do their jobs properly, Virginia Mercury reported.
A state investigator reviewed 200 hard copy prescriptions at the CVS pharmacy and found 74 mistakes, an error rate of about 37 percent.
Two former CVS pharmacists in Virginia told Virginia Mercury that the problems found at that location weren't unique. They said understaffing has been a problem at CVS for years and worsened during the pandemic.
Michael DeAngelis, a CVS spokesperson, told Virginia Mercury many of the complaints found in the investigation were inaccurate or outdated, and he said that management at the Virginia Beach pharmacy had changed since the investigation.
"In fact, our store's lead pharmacist and its district leader both appeared at the board hearing to refute the allegations," the spokesman told the publication.
In response to questions on pharmacy worker shortages at CVS stores across the country, Mr. DeAngelis told Becker's the company has "embarked on a nationwide hiring push to continue to respond to the needs of communities across the country during the fall and winter months when the incidence of flu is expected to increase and as COVID-19 vaccination and testing remain in high demand."
Meanwhile, a Walgreens customer in Eugene, Ore., was told the pharmacy was 900 prescriptions behind because it was understaffed, KEZI 9 News, an ABC affiliate, reported Oct. 9. The customer reported waiting two hours to get a prescription from the Walgreens pharmacy.
Several Walgreens pharmacies in Oregon said they were operating at reduced hours because of staffing shortages.
Fraser Engerman, a spokesperson for Walgreens, told Becker's: "Walgreens continuously reviews staffing levels, as we have throughout the pandemic. In communities where staffing shortages have impacted our stores, we have adjusted continuity plans with the goal of creating minimal disruption to our customers and patients."
The spokesperson added that Walgreens has launched several initiatives to boost recruitment efforts, including offering a sign-on bonus of $1,250 for full or part-time pharmacy technicians hired through the end of October.
A survey conducted in May by the National Community Pharmacists Association found that independent community pharmacies were also having trouble with staffing, with 90 percent of respondents saying they couldn't find pharmacy technicians. More than 13 percent said they were struggling to hire staff pharmacists to handle prescriptions and patients.