CVS and Walmart are reducing pharmacy hours across the US to improve work-life balance for employees as the chains continue to struggle with staff shortages in the wake of the pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic.
CVS said it will be “adjusting hours at select stores” in the spring, as part of a periodic review of “hours to ensure we’re open during peak customer demand.” A company spokesperson said in a statement CBS MoneyWatch.
A spokesperson for CVS, the largest US pharmacy chain by revenue, said it is making schedule changes in order to “ensure our pharmacy teams are available to serve patients when they need it most.” “If a pharmacy is closed, a patient can visit any open CVS pharmacy location to help with their immediate prescription needs,” the spokesperson added.
Wal-Mart reduces hours and raises wages
Walmart also said it is cutting hours at its pharmacy locations nationwide to improve “work-life balance” for its partners.
Walmart pharmacies are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Previously it was open until 9pm on weekdays.
“Walmart is committed to helping our partners live better. Walmart has an amazingly strong pharmacist team, and we’re making this change to not only enhance their work-life balance but also to maintain the best level of service for our customers,” Walmart said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
Walmart said the schedule is being changed based on feedback from pharmacy employees and customers.
“By positioning our teams at the hours when our customers say they want to visit our pharmacy, we are better able to provide excellent customer service and support our associates as they continue to serve their communities every day,” Walmart said.
In mid-June, Wal-Mart Announce a wage increase for more than 36,000 pharmacy technicians, bringing their average hourly wage to more than $20.
Before the pandemic, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians outnumbered job opportunities, according to Michael Hough, dean of Loma Linda University’s College of Pharmacy.
As COVID-19 vaccines begin to be rolled out for the first time in 2021, regional and national pharmacy chains have been calling for qualified workers to support the massive public health campaign. Jobs For pharmacy students soared.
Walgreens hires more pharmacists, raises wages
A spokesperson for Walgreens, the second-largest pharmacy chain in the United States, said it has had to adjust its pharmacy hours over the past 12 months due to staffing challenges.
Walgreens added that it has hired thousands of pharmacists as well as increasing the salaries of pharmacy workers to address ongoing employment issues. She said the efforts are paying off and the issues are calming down.
“We’ve seen positive hiring trends over the past several months as we work to return more stores to normal hours,” Walgreens said.
Pharmacies aggressively hired pharmacists and pharmacy technicians beginning in February 2021, when COVID-19 vaccines were first made available to the general public, to accelerate efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible. Vacancies for pharmacists have increased And the drugstore chains offered huge signing bonuses of up to $20,000.