TULSA, Okla. — Employees of Walgreens pharmacies across Oklahoma, and the nation, are preparing to walk out in protest of their working conditions.
Pharmacists and pharmacy techs with Walgreens told 2 News they are understaffed, and underpaid, with an increasing workload filling as many as 600 prescriptions per day.
This walkout is unique, because Walgreens pharmacy employees are not unionized; it is a grassroots effort. Considering the lack of protection from a union, 2 News Oklahoma granted anonymity to the sources in this report.
"It’s not a matter of, can we feed our families? It’s more of a matter of, what’s our quality of life versus other options in the career field?" one Walgreens pharmacist told 2 News Oklahoma.
He said they are understaffed, overworked, and underpaid for the amount of tasks on their plate. Employees are often covering shifts, and working weekends, keeping the prescriptions of countless customers filled.
One pharmacy tech said they are missing out on time at home.
"I don’t spend a lot of time with my kids because they’re always needing help and I just and I feel like I have to help because the customers should be first and they’re not," the tech said.
She added she, and others, are taking medication for things like blood pressure, headaches and anxiety due to the workload.
2 News met Cheri McNaul, who is a Walgreens pharmacy customer.
"I hope it goes much better, but the other [pharmacies] aren’t good enough for me, and I’ve had pretty good luck with Walgreens," McNaul said.
Perhaps she has had luck, because of some rules and regulations handed down from corporate.
Another pharmacy tech we spoke with said throughout a 12 hour shift, the pharmacist(s) on staff take just a small break. if one at all.
"I think that we don’t get to take our breaks like we should. And if a patient is in front of us, we can’t close the window on them so we never get a full lunch break anyway," she said.
With no union – there is no true organization to this all. Pharmacies across the country are joining in. It is unclear how many, and which pharmacies will be impacted. We know some in Tulsa will be impacted by the walkout, but cannot confirm specifics.
The following statement was sent to 2 News Oklahoma on behalf of Walgreens.
"A small number of our pharmacies are experiencing disruptions and we apologize for any inconvenience. We are working to return these pharmacies to regular operations as quickly as possible. Nearly all of our 9,000 locations continue to serve our patients and customers.
Our pharmacy teams work tirelessly to serve our communities — from administering life-saving vaccines, to helping patients receive prescriptions and health screenings — especially this time of year, during which we see some of the highest rates of respiratory illnesses and seasonal vaccinations.
The last few years have required an unprecedented effort from our team members, and we share their pride in this work — while recognizing it has been a very challenging time.
We also understand the immense pressures felt across the U.S. in retail pharmacy right now. We are engaged and listening to the concerns raised by some of our team members. We are committed to ensuring that our entire pharmacy team has the support and resources necessary to continue to provide the best care to our patients while taking care of their own well-being. We are making significant investments in pharmacist wages and hiring bonuses to attract/retain talent."
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