WASHINGTON, November 21, 2023 – The Pharmacy Guild, a worker empowerment project launched earlier this month by grassroots pharmacy activists with backing from the IAM Healthcare union, released a statement in response to Walgreens’ announcement that a majority of their pharmacies will close for Thanksgiving:
“This is clearly a reaction to pharmacy professionals coming together to unionize with The Pharmacy Guild. While Walgreens is finally starting to consider the work-life balance disparity of their pharmacy employees, it is short-lived and does not address underlying problems. Consistent, appropriate staffing levels allow pharmacists to practice without risk to their license or patient safety, which is the morale boost healthcare workers desire most. Taking a reactive approach to unsafe working conditions is ineffective and unacceptable. The Pharmacy Guild will continue to prompt Walgreens and other corporate chains to make the necessary investments in our community pharmacies.”
Echoing the official statement of The Pharmacy Guild, Dr. Maurice Shaw, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist and former Walgreens employee who runs the RxComedy social media account, added:
“Being able to spend holidays with your family, without having to worry that your workload will be unbearable when you get back to the pharmacy the next day, is something that should be guaranteed, not something you hope to be able to do. This is one of many reasons that pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are unionizing.”