CVS and Walgreens are limiting the amount of baby formula you can buy — a grim reminder of what shortages mean, and how dependent we have become on retail chains, especially when it comes to vital supplies, including drugs.
Maybe you have noticed that it is getting crowded in CVS or Walgreens these days as you wait for an item, a vaccine or medication.
Maybe you’ve been on hold for a pharmacist and finally given up. Perhaps you have argued with a pharmacist or been standing on a long line while someone else demanded better service from the pharmacist.
Within the major drug store outlets, you often see a sign that says, “We’re Hiring.” What I never considered is that the people they most need to hire are critical to our health.
Recently I was living in Massachusetts and went to pick up a prescription at my local Walgreens. A sign on the pharmacy counter read, “Closed for the weekend” with a list of nearby locations. I subsequently learned that the pharmacy was closed because of a shortage of pharmacists. And COVID-19 was not the culprit.
I did a bit of research, including a long chat with a pharmacist. It turns out my experience with a closed pharmacy was just one of many across the nation.
Here’s what I learned.