Sam Amico
The world could use a few more good pharmacists. Or any pharmacists at all, it seems. Apparently, Walmart and CVS could really use them, given that both companies are saying they have to cut their pharmacy hours. The reason? There aren’t enough professionals to fill the hours.
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More specifically, beginning in March, both retailers will cut or shift their pharmacy hours because of staffing shortages, per CNN Business.
CVS will start by shifting its hours to when customers say they need the pharmacy to be open most, though the exact shifts have yet to be determined. The retailer told CNN it is doing so to ensure that “pharmacy teams are available to serve patients when they’re most needed.”
Walmart and CVS Cut Pharmacy Hours
Meanwhile, Walmart will be closing its pharmacies at 7 p.m. local time, as opposed to 9 p.m., as it does now. The company cited feedback from its employees and customers as a reason for the change.
“Walmart has a strong and incredible pharmacy team, and we are making this change to not only enhance their work-life balance but also to maintain the best level of service for our customers,” a Walmart spokesperson said, via CNN. “By positioning our teams in the hours where our customers say they want to visit our pharmacy, we are better able to deliver excellent customer service.”
While Walgreens wasn’t mentioned in the report, it is also undergoing a shift in available pharmacy hours. It started those in 2022.
“We’re facing unprecedented times in healthcare in general, and in the pharmacy profession, it’s no different. There’s a lot of stress on our healthcare professionals. We’re seeing shortages of healthcare professionals across the board, and again, the same in pharmacy,” Emily Zadvorny, Executive Director of of the Colorado Pharmacists Society told 9News.
