The Looming Pharmacy Crisis in America

Pharmacists at major chain stores like CVS and Walgreens are at a breaking point.

Many workers have staged walkouts, saying they are overworked, understaffed and risking patient safety.

Today, On Point: The looming pharmacy crisis in America.

Guests
Shane Jerominski, practicing pharmacist. Advocate who helped organize the recent walkouts at big chain pharmacies.
Sara Sirota, policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project, with a focus on monopoly power in health care.

Also Featured
Dr. Craig Cox, president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Earlier this year, thousands of workers walked off the job at CVS and Walgreens stores in 15 states, including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, and Illinois.

The action was dubbed 'pharmageddon.' A protest by pharmacists against what they say are unreasonable and unsafe working conditions at the biggest chain pharmacies in the United States. One of their major concerns, understaffing. Protesters say the issue isn't a shortage of pharmacists or pharmacy techs.

But a shortage of workers who want to do these jobs at big chain retail stores, where they say workers are already burning out. According to the American Pharmacists Association, the industry has approximately 7,500 job openings for pharmacists and 25,000-plus openings for pharmacy tech. Now, pharmacists are highly educated and highly trained specialists who provide medications to just about everyone in the United States, which means the shortage of qualified workers could also have an impact on just about everyone in the United States.

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