Grocery Pharmacy Crisis Goes Public: Pharmacists Mobilize Outside Buena Park Store
Grocery Pharmacy Crisis Goes Public: Pharmacists Mobilize Outside Buena Park Store
Frontline Pharmacists from Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions Ask Patients to Share Experiences With Delays, Errors, Unsafe Staffing Conditions
Buena Park, CA – The largest to date in a series of escalating actions across Southern California, pharmacists from Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), engaged with grocery patients and customers in front of an Albertsons store in Buena Park to survey them about wait times, service conditions, and medication safety.
“Pharmacists are talking to patients and customers to capture their frustrations with long lines, short staff, and the medication errors that come with it,” said Jose Perez, president, UFCW Local 324. “We hope that the results will force the companies to finally listen to their patients, customers, and pharmacists, and agree to institute stronger staffing standards, which is one of the things we’re fighting for in our contract.
The grocery pharmacists from Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions, who previously released findings of an online survey from patients revealing a troubling pattern of longer lines, mounting workload pressures, and safety concerns inside grocery-based pharmacies, say chronic understaffing and rising prescription volumes inside supermarkets with no action from the companies are to blame. Pharmacists are currently negotiating a new contract with Ralphs and Albertsons (parent company of Vons and Pavilions) to address some of these issues. Their contract expired on March 1, 2026.
“Pharmacists’ duties are expanding, allowing them to provide more clinical services to the public,” said Jean Drexler, staff pharmacist at Albertsons. “However, the companies are not providing the necessary resources for them to safely and effectively provide this care. Pharmacists today asked for the support of the community in these efforts.”
Key online survey findings:
- Growing Lines: Nearly six in 10 grocery pharmacy patients report that lines have increased over the past four years — a sign of sustained growth in demand and workload.
- Extended Wait Times: Nearly half of patients report waiting more than 10 minutes for service, with some reporting waits of 20 minutes or more.
- Medication Safety Concerns: Approximately 12% of grocery pharmacy patients report experiencing a medication error, a serious concern in any health care setting.
- Workload Pressures: Patients frequently describe pharmacists as overwhelmed, understaffed, and juggling multiple responsibilities at once.
Pharmacists will continue their customer actions throughout the month, after which, they’ll release the results of the in-person survey.
BACKGROUND
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union represents nearly 800 pharmacists who work at Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions in Southern California. These essential community healthcare providers have been negotiating their new contract since January, and are calling for stronger staffing standards and competitive wages to retain experienced professionals. They argue that investing in pharmacy staffing is not just about workplace conditions, it is about protecting patient safety inside community grocery stores. Their contract expired on March 1, 2026.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2026
CONTACT: Jenna Thompson, jthompson@ufcw324.org, 949.246.1620
