Pharmacists Stage Walkout Over Working Conditions, Impacting CVS Pharmacy Operations

A group of nearly two dozen pharmacists employed by CVS Health, the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chain, initiated a walkout in the Kansas City metro area to protest working conditions they argue put both pharmacists and patients at risk. This walkout, which began on Thursday and continued into Friday, has resulted in the closure of numerous pharmacies across the metro area, with an estimated 22 locations affected. Some pharmacies outside the metro area have also joined the movement.

The pharmacists’ grievances primarily revolve around staffing levels and quotas, reflecting broader concerns expressed by pharmacists at various national pharmacy chains. They claim that their workload and requirements prevent them from safely filling and verifying prescriptions, potentially endangering patients’ well-being, and even their lives.

The pharmacists participating in the walkout have chosen to remain anonymous, fearing retaliation, as company policy prohibits them from speaking to the media. They initiated the protest following the firing of a Kansas City-based manager, allegedly because he refused to compel pharmacists to close their own stores on weekends to assist at short-staffed locations. This incident served as a catalyst for the ongoing demonstration.

Amy Thibault, CVS Communications Director, did not address the walkout or the allegations made by the organizers when reached for comment. She stated that “a small number of CVS Pharmacy locations in the Kansas City area are closed today due to unexpected staffing issues” and that the company plans to reopen these locations as soon as possible.

Pharmacists working for major chains like CVS and Walgreens have long voiced concerns about staffing levels and corporate performance metrics, which they argue result in a diminishing workforce handling an increasing volume of prescriptions, vaccinations, and other tasks. These pressures were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic when pharmacists were required to administer tests and vaccinations.

Recent surveys conducted both at the national and state levels have consistently echoed these complaints. In Missouri, 60% of surveyed pharmacists in 2019 stated they felt pressured to meet metrics that could compromise patient care. A lack of time and appropriate staffing were commonly cited issues. In 2022, over half of pharmacists surveyed by the Kansas Board of Pharmacy expressed feeling unable to perform their jobs safely, attributing these concerns to inadequate staffing and employer-imposed quotas. Pharmacists in other states, such as California, have reported similar challenges, with 91% of chain pharmacists in the state’s 2021 survey stating that they lacked sufficient staff for adequate patient care.

The pharmacists involved in the walkout seek respectful working conditions that provide them with the time, resources, and staffing levels required to safely fulfill prescriptions and counsel patients. They argue that heavy workloads and understaffing have left them unable to take breaks, attend to their patients, or maintain safety standards.

CVS Health employs over 30,000 pharmacists at more than 9,000 locations nationwide, including standalone CVS stores and those within other retailers like Target and Schnucks. The pharmacists participating in the walkout, who are not unionized, hope to see the movement expand beyond Kansas City.

Despite recognizing that the walkout places additional burdens on their non-participating peers and inconveniences patients, they believe the larger risks associated with inadequate working conditions outweigh the temporary disruption.

One of the pharmacists involved in the protest emphasized their commitment to patient care, stating, “That’s why we’re pharmacists; we care about our patients. By doing this, though, we hope we’ll one day be able to provide them even better care.”

As a result of the walkout, numerous CVS pharmacy locations in Kansas City were closed on Friday, and automated messages informed callers of the temporary closures, citing “circumstances beyond our control.”