Okay, we all heard the rumor that CVS was going to cut R.Ph. hours. Appears it is no longer a rumor. Got a text from a CVS pharmacist that in her area all overlap hours were cut and hours were redistributed so each pharmacist got the same amount of hours. She said they are so busy that the pharmacist still stay after their shifts to try to help out and not get paid! Her store does 6,000 plus scripts per week now with only one pharmacist and at the most 3 techs. Granted they are a 24 hour store. And, she further elaborated, even with this pandemic it is still all about metrics. But, as she further texted me, “wait it gets even better. She was told be glad you have a job because R.Ph. are standing in line waiting for a job and they are starting at $48 an hour.” Also, her health insurance premium is going up for the year because now it is based on your salary
If one does the math on these numbers…. this CVS store is filling – on average – one Rx every 100 SECONDS.. and on their busier days… they would be filling one Rx every 60 SECONDS. Those numbers presume one pharmacist and 3 techs… and no time allotted for meal breaks and restroom breaks…. and back log of Rxs are so great that Pharmacists tend to hang over at shift break to help the team to try and catch up.
It was recently reported that CVS Health’s 1st quarter gross revenue was up 8.3% and NET PROFIT was up 43%. It is VERY DIFFICULT for a MATURE COMPANY to have net profit to increase – as a percent – more than the gross revenue increases.
Here is a recent article that suggests how they could be accomplishing this
Aetna whistleblower accuses CVS Health’s Caremark of fraud in Medicare Part D drug prices
Having your prescriptions filled by a company that seems to put more emphasis on stock prices and net profits than the health & well being of their employees … are they putting the pts’ health and well being at risk because of the staffing levels they are forcing on their Rx dept staff ? All those Rx staff are humans and humans make mistakes and at that volume.. mistakes will happen.. when will it be your turn to have a prescription mis-filled ? Do you really want to support/patronize a company that coerce their employees to work “off the clock” so that pts get their medications ?
Filed under: General Problems
This is so sad to me. The only place I have seen plenty of pharmacists is at our local Giant Pharmacy. Walmart works their pharmacists to the bone. I had to switch as they didn’t have a dedicated staff there as the Giant does.
The retail store pharmacies are way understaffed. I am really surprised there are no more mistakes than just the ones we read about. The pharmacist has to stay at the store – including through their lunchtime – due to state laws. They overwork them and IMO (from what I have read) mistreat their employees (including the pharmacists and techs). I personally have used a local independently owned pharmacy for the past 30 years. Their employees seem to be happy. I also see them coming back from lunch breaks, etc.