Current Events > There's talk of a National Pharmacy Walkout on December 20th.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Im not sure if it will lead to or amount to much, but just to be safe if you need any prescriptions please plan accordingly. Especially if you fill at a chain pharmacy.

I don't blame them. Pharmacy conditions are terrible. They tend to be understaffed and underpaid.

I recently stopped by the one I used to work at. It looked miserable. There were only two technicians on duty (unless a third was at lunch) and they were telling people that their prescriptions would be approximately an hour. For reference, when someone walks up and their medication isn't ready yet, they're usually told fifteen minutes.

You know what happens when a pharmacy is understaffed? People curse at you because their prescriptions aren't ready. You do the work of two people while getting yelled at. The solution is typically to hire people who have recently become parents. You'll put up with a stressful, thankless, low paying job if you have to in order to feed your children.

That's shitty. That's tyrannical. Let's hire people who are willing to walk barefoot on hot coals to feed their children rather to hire enough people to alleviate some of the stress and hardship of the job.

If technicians walk out and people literally die for lack of being able to get their medications, I place the blame solely on the corporations. It's your company. It's your responsibility to see to it that your employees are equipped to handle the load.

I support them, but fuck I better get my boosters soon then.

I went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for my mother last week and they literally had hundreds of prescriptions filled on the wall waiting to go with only like 2-3 people working at a time. it must be crazy.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Sounds awesome! Its as if important businesses like pharmacies shouldnt be directly tied with big pharma, and instead be unionized or ran by mom and pop for happier customers and employees.

If these skid marks walk off the job they should be fired. Plenty of people waiting for a coveted pharmacy position to open up.

@hockeybub89 you gonna participate?

CharlesBronson posted...

If these skid marks walk off the job they should be fired. Plenty of people waiting for a coveted pharmacy position to open up.

You almost got me.

First bump hopefully some people see this.

I thought pharmacists were paid well?

This could super ultra fuck me over. Im already in a tough spot not getting my refill secured cause my doctors office is closing. This definitely wouldn't help.

I get it, but it's hurting other people in the process which is why I don't really agree with a walkout scenario here. Maybe some senior needs their heart medicine on that day, has zero connection to social media and has no idea this is a thing or why it's happening. It applies to thousands of people who need certain medications to live, missing it for a day could be potentially fatal.

Our medicare system is completely fucked, and I understand and agree with their frustrations, entirely. I felt like this point should at least be brought up.

Lost_All_Senses posted...

I thought pharmacists were paid well?

This could super ultra fuck me over. Im already in a tough spot not getting my refill secured cause my doctors office is closing. This definitely wouldn't help.

Its the complete lack of fair working conditions that is the main issue. And Covid vaccinations has no doubt increased most pharmacists workload to the point where other work just cannot be done in a reasonable fashion. Pharmacists may be paid well, but they certainly keep getting asked to do more and more with less and less with no change in compensation.

And this is only scratching the surface of the problem. I thankfully dont work at such a location so I dont have the firsthand experience to go quite into as much detail.

BroodRyu posted...

Its the complete lack of fair working conditions that is the main issue. And Covid vaccinations has no doubt increased most pharmacists workload to the point where other work just cannot be done in a reasonable fashion. Pharmacists may be paid well, but they certainly keep getting asked to do more and more with less and less with no change in compensation.

And this is only scratching the surface of the problem. I thankfully dont work at such a location so I dont have the firsthand experience to go quite into as much detail.

That's fair. I just jump to money cause...well, it's America. It's almost always about money.

I don't wanna be selfish. But god damn. Not only do I get withdrawals from not having my medication, but I take pain medication to be able to get through the day. Id go through that for a lil bit for the bigger picture, I guess. But, it's still America. So, most likely Id go through it while they make everything worse.

This is why pharmacy should be automated

BlackHorse6969 posted...

This is why pharmacy should be automated

You will not be able to fully automate pharmacy.

Just got my monthly prescriptions filled out from yesterday and the next one tomorrow so I'm good for mine, but damn will it suck for the peeps who need their scripts on the 20th if this really does go down.

I don't blame them and support them. At my local pharmacies they're all understaffed, and have people yelling at them.

Doesn't help when nutty Trumpers come in and yell "Let's go Brandon!" and argue with a nurse about the vaccine and masks among other disruptive behaviors. That was a wild day to get my third dose of Pfizer, lol.

LanHikari10 posted...

You will not be able to fully automate pharmacy.

but you can get rid of pharmacists and replace them with techs and automation

BlackHorse6969 posted...

but you can get rid of pharmacists and replace them with techs and automation

No, you cannot.

I hear from everyone that this is the worst it's ever been. Had 2 pharmacists and 4 technicians quit in the last month.

Hope they don't do that here, I have to get meds almost every day

SweetieBeIle462 posted...

@hockeybub89 you gonna participate?

I don't need to, but I send solidarity. I fucking quit corporate retail. CVS and Walgreens can suck it.

Now I work for a tiny local business that actually values both employee and patient. Better pay, hours, benefits. Less stress. More employees working at any given time. They even let the pharmacists go on breaks.

hockeybub89 posted...

I don't need to, but I send solidarity. I fucking quit corporate retail. CVS and Walgreens can suck it.

Now I work for a tiny local business that actually values both employee and patient. Better pay, hours, benefits. Less stress. More employees working at any given time. They even let the pharmacists go on breaks.

There's a smaller pharmacy near me and they definitely seem less stressed than the chain ones

But unfortunately I only ever use the chain ones. Not my choice

Good. Pharmacy workers have to do what they have to do to get a chance at better working conditions/wages.

It's a shame people may have to literally die because of it, but how else are they going to get the corporations to listen to them? You think some fucking letters or phone calls will work?

Smackems posted...

There's a smaller pharmacy near me and they definitely seem less stressed than the chain ones

But unfortunately I only ever use the chain ones. Not my choice

Gotta love insurance (I assume?)

LanHikari10 posted...

Gotta love insurance (I assume?)

I dunno, I just get the meds for the folks lol

Pharmacy techs are paid slightly above fast food wages.

Flockaveli posted...

I hear from everyone that this is the worst it's ever been. Had 2 pharmacists and 4 technicians quit in the last month.

It absolutely is. It is completely stunning how CVS shit the bed over my 5 years there. We were doing more volume with half the hours. Everyone is stressed and tired all the time.

ExtremeLuchador posted...

Pharmacy techs are paid slightly above fast food wages.

Which is a shame. Technicians deserve much better pay for what they do.

It also is good to mention that retail chains literally have the highest markup when it comes to cash prices for generic drugs and OTC products, which totally defeats one of the draws corporations usually have over small businesses. It's greed of the highest order and has no place in healthcare.

Well I just got one tonight, so lucky me I guess

Guide posted...

I support them, but fuck I better get my boosters soon then.

it's better to get it sooner. omicron is wrecking shit (not as hard as delta but in higher numbers).

I go to a local mom and pop pharmacy so I'm not concerned at all.

hockeybub89 posted...

It also is good to mention that retail chains literally have the highest markup when it comes to cash prices for generic drugs and OTC products, which totally defeats one of the draws corporations usually have over small businesses. It's greed of the highest order and has no place in healthcare.

This has always been kind of wild to me. You'd think generic ibuprofen would be cheaper at a drug store, but it's usually a few bucks more than any other place.

Also, I formally filed a complaint with the board of pharmacy back when I was at CVS, so I've done my part.

hockeybub89 posted...

Also, I formally filed a complaint with the board of pharmacy back when I was at CVS, so I've done my part.

Did you get any sort of response?

BroodRyu posted...

Did you get any sort of response?

An investigator interviewed every single person that worked at my store. I think she's actually still compiling. I don't expect anything from it unless she can prove people are literally dying, but it was worth a shot.

BlackHorse6969 posted...

but you can get rid of pharmacists and replace them with techs and automation

terrible idea. Pharmacists play a crucial role in our medical system, namely, knowing all the shot a patient is taking and if they interact. At a large pharmacy the pharmacist is probably saving lives daily by asking Dr.s if they really want to prescribe this cocktail of death.

Norman_Smiley posted...

terrible idea. Pharmacists play a crucial role in our medical system, namely, knowing all the shot a patient is taking and if they interact. At a large pharmacy the pharmacist is probably saving lives daily by asking Dr.s if they really want to prescribe this cocktail of death.

Seriously. It's like saying we can just automate all doctors and let the nurses handle the stuff that can't be done by robots. Pharmacists literally are doctors.

lol yeah what

if techs could do a pharmacists job then...no one would hire pharmacists because techs are cheaper

NOM posted...

It's a shame people may have to literally die because of it

This is why I think if anyone dies over this because a pharmacist walked out the pharmacist in question should be charged with something. Some jobs are simply too important for a strike.

All the pharmacy techs around here are super cute flirty chicks. I love picking up meds or getting shots.

Duncanwii posted...

This is why I think if anyone dies over this because a pharmacist walked out the pharmacist in question should be charged with something. Some jobs are simply too important for a strike.

Duncan, you need to shut the hell up about things you have no understanding of. @Duncanwii

What do dey want? it better not be more fucking money

My small town pharmacy is staffed by people they flew in from Denver

First Ive heard of this

<a onclick="return show_quoted_message(400, 79814137, 961035971, '1bb60085');" href="/boards/400-current-events/79814137/961035971">ssj3vegeta posted... </a>

What do dey want? it better not be more fucking money

As mentioned earlier techs barely make anything and average salaries for pharmacists in retail have been trending downwards for a while now