Walgreens on Wednesday announced it will no longer evaluate its retail pharmacy staff on "task-based metrics" during performance reviews—a move that will allow its "pharmacists to practice at the top of their license while creating a differentiated work environment within its pharmacies nationwide."

Walgreens shifts to 'place even greater focus on patient care and outcomes'

Amid staffing shortages and high levels of burnout across the pharmaceutical industry, Walgreens announced that it will change the way its retail pharmacy staff is evaluated during performance reviews—a move that "will allow its 24,000+ pharmacists to place even greater focus on patient care and outcomes," the company said in a press release.

"Walgreens is eliminating all task-based metrics for retail pharmacy staff as part of team members' performance reviews, further enabling the company's pharmacists to practice at the top of their license while creating a differentiated work environment within its pharmacies nationwide," the company said.

Walgreens' shift in approach to talent management comes as the company moves into new areas of pharmacist care, including testing and treating routine illnesses. In the future, pharmacy staff will only be evaluated on the actions that improve patient care and the patient experience.

Since August 2021, Walgreens has made several investments to address pharmacy staff shortages and reward and retain staff.

During fiscal year (FY) 2021, Walgreens made a $190 million investment that increased overtime pay and signing bonuses for pharmacy staff. In FY 2023, the company plans to invest $265 million in its pharmacy staff.  

The company has also invested in pharmacy automation technology, which allows pharmacists to spend more time on clinical services and patient consultations.

"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," said Holly May, EVP and global chief human resources officer for Walgreens Boots Alliance. "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," she added.

Commentary

The American Pharmacist Association (APA) hailed Walgreens' announcement as "a positive step in the right direction," and urged other pharmacies make similar changes.

"This addresses one of the major pharmacy workplace concerns expressed by pharmacists," said Ilsa Bernstein, APA's interim CEO. "These metrics are a key factor in contributing to pharmacist burnout and stress."

In addition, Rina Shah, Walgreens' VP of pharmacy of the future, said federal laws are necessary to help pharmacists step into other health care roles.

"The silver lining around COVID was that the federal government removed some of those administrative restrictions and really allowed us to be able to administer millions of life-saving vaccinations and testing services," Shah said. "However, when that all peels back, the scope does vary by state."

According to Shah, Walgreens is taking steps to ensure that pharmacists are recognized as health care providers on a national and local level.

Pharmacy workers are trained to do more, Shah noted, which mirrors the viewpoint of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and CVS. 

"At pharmacy school, you're on rotations with physicians, with nurses, with the entire care team to care for a patient," Shah said. "A patient visits a pharmacy three to four times more than they do their physician or other care providers." (Rutherford, Bloomberg, 10/26; Kaplan, NBC News, 10/28; Walgreens press release, 10/26; Reed, Axios, 10/27; Twenter, Becker's Hospital Review, 10/28)