The largest pharmacy chain in the U.S. is staffing up for fall and winter with 15,000 hires.
It’s also calling for regulation that would allow pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations under the direction of pharmacists in all states.
In an Oct. 19 announcement, CVS Health says most of the new and open positions it’s looking to fill are precisely for licensed pharmacy techs. These openings are for part-time as well as fulltime workers, and many are temporary jobs that could become permanent.
“Additional team members typically are needed every flu season,” the company’s chief of human resources, Lisa Bisaccia, says in the announcement. “However, we’re estimating a much greater need for trained pharmacy technicians this year given the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities.”
The push also includes recruiting pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, member benefit case professionals and distribution center employees.
In addition, the Woonsocket, R.I.-based company plans to onboard several thousand customer-service people to work from home.
Outlining its case for expanded roles that licensed techs could fill, CVS says workers in this category already handle high-responsibility tasks and are “vital to administering COVID-19 tests at more than 4,000 drive-thru testing sites at select CVS Pharmacy locations across the country. In this role, they are critical in helping to curb the spread of the virus and expand access to care, particularly in underserved communities.”
Certified techs are currently authorized to immunize patients in only a handful of states.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.