Consumers who head to the pharmacy in the evening to pick up prescriptions at CVS or Walmart might need to rearrange their schedules. Amid staffing shortages, both retailers are reducing pharmacy hours at locations across the U.S.
Walmart aims to improve work-life balance for pharmacy employees by closing two hours earlier, at 7 p.m., Monday-Friday, while maintaining the 9 a.m. opening time. Weekend hours won’t change. The retail giant has also raised pharmacy technicians’ wages, increasing the average hourly pay rate to more than $20.
CVS plans to reduce its hours this spring, though the Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based chain hasn’t yet detailed times.
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Walmart said the changes to its hours are in line with peak times when customers visit the pharmacy, according to CBS MoneyWatch. Still, the curtailed hours could pose problems for workers who pick up prescriptions later in the evening or customers hoping to purchase medications prescribed the same day.
