Walgreens pharmacy staffers stage walkouts over work conditions

By MADDIE BURAKOFF
AP Science Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Walgreens has named a new CEO as pharmacy staff walked off the job this week over concerns that working conditions are putting employees and patients at risk. Tim Wentworth, who formerly headed Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager, was named CEO as of Oct. 23. Pharmacists say their teams are short-staffed and overworked, leading to issues with patient safety and staff wellbeing. The number of stores impacted by the walkouts is unclear. An organizer estimated that more than 300 locations have been impacted, while a Walgreens spokesman said no more than a dozen pharmacies saw disruptions. Employees say their workload doesn’t match staffing levels. They also want the company to provide more training for new hires.