Walgreens has done away with task-based metrics for its retail pharmacy staff, a move that no longer judges pharmacists on how fast they work.
The change impacts more than 24,000 pharmacists, according to Walgreens, and the retailer says its staff will be able to focus more on patient care and outcomes. The metrics will be eliminated from team members’ performance reviews. Instead, pharmacists will be evaluated based on behaviors that support patient care and enhance the patient experience, the company said.
The move also comes as Walgreens is “laying the groundwork” for pharmacists to take part in new areas of care, such as testing and treating routine illness.
Plus, Walgreens may be making the change in an effort to retain its pharmacy staff at a time when the job market has tightened. The Great Resignation has led many Americans to quit their jobs or leave roles for new positions over the past few years. The healthcare industry has been hit particularly hard by departures as a result of the pandemic. Healthcare organizations have increased wages and enhanced benefits in order to attract and retain talent.
Since 2019, Walgreens has increased its starting wage for hourly staff and made other investments, including $190 million to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in fiscal year 2022, mainly in premium pay and bonuses. Walgreens also plans to invest another $265 million for pharmacy staff in fiscal year 2023.
“We’re proud to take a strong position in the industry with this measure, one we are taking due to feedback from our pharmacy team members and also as part of our commitment to pharmacy quality and patient care,” Holly May, executive vice president and global chief human resources officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, said in a statement. “We’ve continued to make investments to elevate the role of our pharmacists and to foster an environment that enables them to best care for our patients and customers. Coupled with other infrastructure enhancements and technology investments, this allows our pharmacy team members to do the work they love and engage with our patients and communities in the way they were trained.”
Walgreens also noted it has increased pay for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and provided additional bonuses and implemented a merit-based review process for 2022 that includes compensation increases or lump sum payments for pharmacists. Plus, Walgreens has invested in automation technology, including eight micro-fulfillment centers, to reduce prescription fulfillment in stores and give pharmacy staff more time to provide clinical services and patient consultations.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."