Major drugstore chains such as Walgreens and Rite Aid have had to reduce their opening hours due to nationwide labor shortages.
Experts say this This change, coupled with the permanent closure of pharmacy branches, may make it more difficult for customers to access prescriptions.
An August report from the National Association of Community Pharmacists found that more than three-quarters Portions of approximately 600 independent pharmacy owners and managers surveyed said they are having difficulty filling open positions.
This results in longer wait times for patients.
The number of pharmacists employed by pharmacies and drugstores fell by 6% between 2022 and 2021, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau forecasts that there will be around ,600 job openings for pharmacists each year on average for the next decade.
One of the possible reasons why there are fewer pharmacists is that they feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the job. And it is that the level of stress and exhaustion of these positions is high. Because of this, pharmacists resign and that is when stores are forced to shorten their hours.
The lack of Wage increases could also play a role, as pharmacist compensation fell nearly 5% in 2022 after adjusting for inflation.
CVS said it plans to close 360 stores in 2022, with the goal of closing 900 stores in the next three years. Rite Aid spokeswoman Catherine Carter said the chain is also reducing its number of stores and has already closed more than 150 stores in 150 states since the end of 2022.
In 600, Walgreens announced that it plans to close 150 stores.
The spokespersons of the companies They told USA TODAY that they take many factors into account when closing stores, including customer buying habits and local market dynamics.
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