Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy Employees Plan Pharmageddon

Over 2,000 employees from big pharmacy chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid planned to walk out this week to protest their working conditions.

According to FOX Business, employees are calling this event part of “Pharmageddon,” a planned series of absences aimed at improving their working conditions. This protest, which is coordinated in part by Shane Jerominski, an experienced licensed pharmacist, will unfold from Monday through Wednesday as employees call in sick. It echoes previous protests, including Walgreens employees’ absence earlier this month and a separate CVS walkout in Kansas in September.

The workers’ demands include guaranteed hours, increased pay for technicians, and decision-making power in scheduling for pharmacists and pharmacy managers. They anticipate that these changes will enhance staffing and work-life balance and reduce potential patient safety concerns due to errors.

The scale of participation in the upcoming protest remains uncertain, according to Jerominski. On his social media platform, The Accidental Pharmacist, a poll revealed that over 2,000 individuals affirmed their commitment to the cause with a resounding “I’m all for this no matter what.” Further, 1,442 additional respondents expressed willingness to join, provided “hundreds to thousands of pharmacists and technicians” were part of the protest.

Apart from encouraging people to call in sick, Jerominski is also planning to stage protests outside of CVS and Walgreens headquarters this week to amplify the visibility and impact of their movement.

Although Jerominski does not view himself as the principal organizer of the protest, he identifies his role as significant, owing to his social media outreach and his experience as a former pharmacist at Walgreens and CVS before shifting to an independent retail pharmacy.

The Accidental Pharmacist for Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy Walkout

The Accidental Pharmacist’s Facebook page boasts 122,000 followers, primarily comprising pharmacists, technicians, and other healthcare professionals. Jerominski noted that he frequently receives direct messages concerning workplace conditions.

The covert pharmacist who arranged the initial Walgreens walkout earlier this month, speaking to FOX Business under conditions of anonymity, previously warned that the workers would amplify their protest to a pharmacy-wide scale if their grievances went unresolved.

“We are a force to be reckoned with and we demand more from those who would see us and those we care for suffer,” a letter sent to Walgreens staff from organizers of “Pharmageddon” said.  

Pharmageddon organizers via Fox Business

The challenge lies in the major pharmacy chains’ inability to adequately staff their stores and pharmacies. This issue has been further compounded by an increase in vaccine appointments, leading to delays in prescription fulfillment.