Employees at Walgreens and CVS told ProPublica the retail pharmacy giants are failing to protect employees' health or provide adequate sick pay for those exposed to COVID-19.
The pharmacy workers are dealing with more prescriptions than ever without a corresponding increase in staffing or safety measures, 25 employees from Walgreens and CVS told ProPublica.
Walgreens employees said that they didn't receive masks, gloves, cleaning supplies or plexiglass shields to separate themselves from customers throughout March. They also said that in at least seven stores, workers were exposed to the virus, but the company didn't shut down the stores for cleaning or give sick pay to workers quarantined with presumed positive cases.
A Walgreens spokesperson told ProPublica: "We have instituted extensive safety measures for our employees and in our stores."
Both Walgreens and CVS told ProPublica they are following all government guidelines.
Employees of the pharmacy chains have started online petitions seeking more sick leave and asking the companies to make pharmacies drive-thru only.
A CVS spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review the company is now requiring all store employees to wear a company-issued mask or cloth face covering and that it began installing protective panels at pharmacy counters.
The spokesperson added that the company is providing 14-day paid leave for any employee who has tested positive for COVID-19, has received a presumptive positive diagnosis from their physician or who needs to be quarantined because of known exposure to someone with COVID-19.
Becker's has also reached out to Walgreens for comment and will update this story accordingly.
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