It’s Not Your Granddad’s Pharmacy -- As Denver Pharmacists Walk off the Job
Denver pharmacists are taking a stand and walking off the job, causing disruptions for Walgreens customers in the Mile High City. The walkouts, driven by unacceptable work conditions and staffing shortages, are leaving patients with longer wait times and closed drive-throughs.
According to reports, thousands of Walgreens employees across the country joined in this protest. The pharmacy chain, which operates close to 100 locations in Denver, is the second-largest in the nation, falling just behind CVS. In September, CVS pharmacists also staged walkouts over similar concerns.
While the company claims that only a few stores have been affected, customers and employees tell a different story. Patients at Walgreens locations on E. Colfax Ave., S. Colorado Blvd., and N. Broadway encountered unexpected delays and closures due to the pharmacist walkouts. This is especially troubling as we enter flu season and demand for vaccinations is high, according to the Denver Post.
A spokesperson for Walgreens attempted to downplay the situation, stating that only “a small number” of stores have been impacted and that the company is making efforts to hire and retain pharmacists in understaffed locations. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
Meanwhile, CVS, which also operates numerous pharmacies in Denver, claims to have no “unusual activity” regarding closures.
However, the Colorado Pharmacists Society, which supports the protest, plans to release data from a survey on workplace conditions for pharmacists in the state. The results are expected to show the substantial and increasing demands placed on these healthcare professionals.
Former City Market pharmacist Nathan McConnell told the Post that he knows all too well the toll that these conditions can take on a person.
Working over 50 hours a week, often as a manager, he experienced mental health issues like panic attacks from the stress and exhaustion. He has since hired a lawyer and reached out to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about his situation.
The Colorado Pharmacists Society has made it clear that enough is enough and pharmacists are taking a stand. But it's not just the pharmacists feeling the strain. Some patients report feeling the effects of understaffing as well.