High workloads for pharmacists increase the potential for medication errors, and during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic, the pressures are greater than ever. Unions are taking unprecedented steps to protect pharmacists and their patients. Their focus over the next year will be on making significant and lasting changes to prevent the growing number of obstacles that distract pharmacists from safely dispensing drugs.
In Chicago, permanent changes are occurring. Several years ago, a Chicago Tribune investigation revealed that 52% of 255 Chicago-area pharmacies had failed to warn patients about drug combinations that could cause harm or death.1 Since then, Teamsters Local 727 has worked with the Illinois legislature to update the state’s pharmacy act to better reflect the issues of working in a retail pharmacy. The union is pushing for mandatory, uninterrupted breaks for pharmacists.
In 2020, Teamsters Local 727 aims to raise standards, improve working conditions, and lift the collective voice of pharmacists and members of Teamsters Local 727. In an email, Teamsters Local 727 told Drug Topics® that the union is advocating for further reforms to the Illinois Pharmacy Practice Act, and, through its 2 seats on the Illinois Pharmaceutical Task Force, this fall it will give recommendations to the state legislature regarding further reforms.
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