No longer the corner of happy and healthy. - Staff Pharmacist Walgreens Employee Review

2.0
26 Feb 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The money... • 401(k) / profit sharing with up to 4% company match • Employee stock purchase program (ESPP) with 10% off company stock • Accumulate Paid Time Off (PTO) the more you work • Pay check every 2 weeks

Cons

Walgreens is no longer the "corner of happy and healthy". The district manager is a cheerleader in a suit who does absolutely nothing to help the stores and its employees. We're constantly told to increase the Net Promoter Score (NPS), make phone calls to push customers to get refills and 90 day supply on prescriptions (for reimbursement from insurance companies), and take advantage of cancer patients by promoting/selling beauty products to make them feel good when in reality Walgreens just cares about profits. It's all about the Benjamins. Everyone is pressured to do more with less, especially the pharmacy. Pharmacists have little to no training since the "training" is only 10 days. We're always understaffed, and if you complain, you will be reprimanded. Hours are cut because the CEO is too busy buying the competition (Rite Aid, Sinopharm GuoDa in China) and making partnerships with other companies (Birchbox, FedEx, Humana, Microsoft, Verily). It doesn't help when you have lazy pharmacy technicians and floaters who don't know how to do their jobs as well. On top of that, you have deal with incredibly STUPID CUSTOMERS on a daily basis and they always think they "got a phone call saying the prescription is ready". The smart ones actually leave because drug prices are extraordinarily high at Walgreens compared to other retailers like Costco and Walmart. Walgreens is such a joke! "Trusted since 1901"? HELL NO! I don't think anyone can trust a company that repeatedly breaks the law. First the Controlled Substance Act (in Florida), then the False Claims Act (overbilling the gov't with insulin pens) followed by selling tobacco to minors and hiring a fake pharmacist.

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5.0
11 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Opportunity for advancement, engaging supportive environment

Cons

Expectation unattainable at times with lack of resources and communication from too many fields

3.0
25 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Can be a fun environment. All in whom your staff is. Operating photo was fun and building projects for the customers. Learning about pharmacy operations.

Cons

Work life balance and low pay for what is expected. Not having enough payroll to effectively run a store. My store ran FE on a 320 hour a week budget. That was barely enough to get buy and meet the expectations put out by the company. I was never able to keep a full leadership staff. When a leader called out, I had to stay. There were days I was called away from my own dinner table. SM's were forced to be in the pharmacy for more than half of their day regardless as to what is happening in the FE. I worked over 50 hours a week and barely got to spend time with my family. If I wasn't at the store I was getting a phone call and having to go back to the store.

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