Source: Walgreen’s video - “A Day in the Life: Pharmacist Tabitha Mayhew”
Walgreens is eliminating task-based metrics for pharmacy staff as part of performance reviews in order to place an “even greater focus on patient care and outcomes.”
Walgreens makes the change as a pharmacist shortage is reportedly leading to longer wait times for prescriptions, leading many pharmacies, including Walgreens, to close stores or shorten hours.
The move also supports Walgreen’s extension into new areas of care, such as testing and treating routine illnesses.
An NBC News investigation last year explored how the added workloads pharmacists have faced during the pandemic are leading many to leave the industry. The pressure to meet metrics was found to further heightened risks of burnout and making mistakes filling out prescriptions.
The metrics typically include weekly targets for the number of prescriptions filled, vaccinations given and calls to patients, as well as how fast phones are answered.
“We’re proud to take a strong position in the industry with this measure, one we are taking due to feedback from our pharmacy team members and also as part of our commitment to pharmacy quality and patient care,” said Holly May, EVP and global chief human resources officer, Walgreens, in a statement.
To address pharmacist shortages, Walgreens has already taken several steps to enhance compensation and has opened micro-fulfillment centers to reduce prescription fulfillment in stores.
An August survey from the American Pharmacists Association and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations found low staffing to be the root cause of negative work experiences for pharmacists, although metrics not aligned with patient outcomes also ranked high.
Last year, a California law barred using “pharmacy metrics” to evaluate pharmacists’ performance. Ohio’s state pharmacy board last month proposed prohibiting the use of quotas at pharmacies.
In other areas of retail, the productivity of cashiers, warehouse workers and delivery drivers are often monitored. Beyond measuring performance, proponents believe such metrics incentivize most workers.
A recent New York Times article noted that electronic surveillance, such as tracking clicks, is extending productivity monitoring to white collar jobs and questioned whether the gains in “efficiency and accountability” are worth the resulting risk of employee stress and outrage.
- Walgreens Sharpens Focus on Patient Care and Experience, Eliminating Task-Based Metrics for Pharmacy Staff Performance Reviews Chainwide – Walgreens
- Walgreens will stop judging its pharmacy staffers by how fast they work – NBC News
- Walgreens Pharmacies in Topeka face closures and hour changes due to staffing shortages – WIBW
- Shortage of pharmacists leads to shortened hours, delays – WMUR
- APhA and NASPA Release Third Pharmacy Workplace and Well-being Reporting (PWWR) Findings – American Pharmacists Association
- Pharmacy Workplace and Well-being Reporting (PWWR) Report III August 2022 – American Pharmacists Association
- SB-362 Chain community pharmacies: quotas. – California Legislation Information
- Prohibition on the Use of Quotas – Ohio Board of Pharmacy
- The Rise of the Worker Productivity Score – The New York Times