Based on my informal discussions with my colleagues, it seems that some corporate pharmacies have their pharmacists working anywhere from 10 to 13 consecutive hours without breaks. My purpose is not to slander any corporation. My plea is for an investigation of our work environments as community pharmacists within such corporations. The U.S. labour laws regarding breaks do not apply to pharmacists, since we are defined as professionals. This makes me unhappy, because my studies are in pharmacy, not fast-food delivery.
Physicians close their offices for lunch, and nurses take lunch breaks.
I know that hiring a pharmacist to relieve others so that breaks may be taken is an additional expense. But if the prescription department closes for break periods, that means lost dollars. In a community chain pharmacy, any prescription department open for business for eight consecutive hours should be required to close for 15 minutes within that eight-hour time frame. Any prescription department open for more than eight consecutive hours should be required to close for a second 15-minute period within that time frame beyond the eight consecutive hours. The exact time that these breaks will be taken will be posted on the store front and in the prescription department for all clients to see.