WPhA Stands in Support of Pharmacists & Pharmacy Staff
Cheyenne, WY (September 29, 2023) – The news of pharmacists leaving their jobs at CVS stores in the Kansas City metro area last week is a snapshot of a much bigger, long-time concern that has plagued pharmacies across the United States. COVID brought to light the poor workplace conditions that many pharmacists and pharmacy staff faced long before the pandemic. The Wyoming Pharmacy Association (WPhA) stands with our colleagues across the nation who are protesting poor working conditions to protect patient safety.
Patient safety is at the forefront of every pharmacist and pharmacy staff member as they care for their patients each day. And in order to provide medications, vaccinations, patient counseling, and the other services that patients need and pharmacists provide, it is imperative that the workplace conditions, which include appropriate staffing, be in place. The latest Pharmacy Workplace and Well-being Report highlights that inadequate staffing, unreasonable metrics, and harassment continue to plague pharmacists and pharmacy staff. WPhA and our national and state pharmacy association colleagues across the United States are advocating for safe working conditions that permit pharmacists and pharmacy staff to focus on patients. The health care industry has been stressed and stretched during COVID. There is no excuse for any healthcare entity to continually ignore the poor working conditions facing pharmacy and our other health care colleagues.
Pharmacists want to provide the best medicine and best care they can to their patients. Patient safety is at the core of the pharmacy profession but is compromised without adequate support. The pharmacy staff in Kansas City said “enough” and walked away. WPhA stands in support of the pharmacists and pharmacy staff who put patient safety and their own safety as a priority. And we applaud the pharmacies, pharmacists, and pharmacy staff across the U.S. that prioritize patient safety and safe workplace environments that lead to the provision of excellent health care and pharmacy services.
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About WPhA
The Wyoming Pharmacy Association (WPhA) was founded in 1915 and is dedicated to advocating, education, and connecting to improve the health of Wyoming citizens through the advancement of pharmacy. WPhA’s membership is comprised of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists representing all practice settings across the state.
About PWWR
Pharmacy Workplace and Well-being Report – a safe, confidential, and anonymous space for pharmacy personnel to report positive and negative workplace experiences developed by the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).