Lannie Duong, co-founder of The Pharmacy Guild, and Chris DesRochers, a pharmacy technician, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the decade-long effort to improve the workplace for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians that led to the creation of The Pharmacy Guild.
The Pharmacy Guild is a grassroots initiative led by pharmacy workers across the U.S. It is dedicated to protecting patients and the safety of pharmacy workers and hopes to ensure that future regulations will help improve the industry. The Pharmacy Guild is supported by IAM Healthcare, a division within the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). Duong explained the support the guild has received from the IAM to help advocate for pharmacy workers across the nation.
In a University of Illinois Chicago College of Pharmacy study, 9 out of 10 pharmacists were shown to be at high risk for burnout. DesRochers, a leader in the organizing campaign at the Wakefield CVS pharmacy in Rhode Island, discussed how burnout has expanded beyond just pharmacists and includes pharmacy technicians as well. He explained his experiences in the industry and how it has negatively impacted his thoughts on a career as a pharmacist. DesRochers discussed why he joined the Pharmacy Guild and why he looks forward to the future.
Finally, Duong discussed the support The Pharmacy Guild has received from pharmacy workers after launching earlier this year. When the website was first launched, it temporarily crashed after more than 30,000 pharmacists visited the site, she said. Duong explained that since this moment, the need for union protections in the pharmacy industry has been obvious. With pharmacy-related social media communities on the rise, Duong is optimistic about the future of pharmacy workers in America.
Please listen to the show above for more information on The Pharmacy Guild.