The answer is the disregard for the human lives that they hold in their hands.
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- CVS Specialty Pharmacy is the pharmacy that we were forced to use that brought me to eventually start this petition to stop the forcing of mail order pharmacies after realizing that temperatures of mail order were unregulated.
- I would connect with UPS drivers who faced horrible working conditions that involved walking in and out of the inside back of the trucks that would turn into ovens as they reach temperatures of 120-170 degrees in the summer. I would connect with Theresa Klenk that has this petition for UPS to air condition their trucks (Please support her petition). It's the back of the trucks that UPS workers are trying to get temperature controlled. Some have died due to the heat.
- CVS Specialty Mail Order, CVS Caremark, CVS Retail Pharmacies have merged with health insurer Aetna. They not only force many to their own mail order pharmacies but also their retail pharmacies. In 2018, after starting the petition, I connected with chain pharmacists that taught me about the horrible understaffing and working conditions that have brought some to commit suicide or face physical and mental health issues. Some have died. Please search #shewaited
- The mail order pharmacists have also stated that the working conditions at the mail order pharmacies are also horrible. In fact, Express Scripts has been noted as "one of the worst companies to work for."
That's just the beginning of what I would uncover as an advocate.
There is a connection between these corporations that could create change for the better, but they refuse to as they continue to put profits above patients and their employees.
Cigna which has merged with Express Scripts sits on USPS board. A worker recently cooked steaks in her vehicle. Some USPS workers have died from the heat.
CVS sits on UPS Board. Even drug manufacturer, Pfizer, sits on the board of UPS! One would think that they would be screaming louder than us for the trucks to be temperature controlled and for medications to be shipped faster than any other package. The drivers' lives depend on it too. Where are the voices of these board members for the workers and patients?
On this Labor Day, may our voices be loud for those that serve us and for demanding protection from the greed of these corporations. Today and every day, we appreciate our pharmacists and delivery drivers. Some will risk it all to be able to get medications safely to the pharmacies and patients that choose or are forced to an understaffed chain retail pharmacy or mail order pharmacy.
Loretta Boesing, Patient Advocate & Founder of Unite For Safe Medications
Share Your Story: loretta@uniteforsafemedications.com