CVS Health announced yesterday that they are beginning a massive push to fill critical roles as the nation prepares itself for what will be a dangerous surge of Covid-19 cases this fall and winter. More than 10,000 of the new roles are for full- and part-time licensed pharmacy technicians at CVS Pharmacy locations and will be filled as soon as possible. Additional on-site roles that are part of the company’s recruiting effort include pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, member benefit case professionals, and distribution center employees.

Finally, to support the CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty pharmacy businesses, the company is recruiting for several thousand work-from-home customer service representative positions across the country, with hundreds of openings in several markets, including: Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Knoxville, TN; Mt. Prospect, IL; Orlando, FL; Pittsburgh, PA; and  San Antonio, TX.

“By leveraging CVS Health’s innovation and technology, we can help get more Americans back to work from the convenience of their own homes, where they can contribute to the company’s ongoing efforts to help solve the country’s health care challenges,” said Jeffrey Lackey, Vice President of Talent Acquisition,

The move is a reaction to a grim reality. Globally, Covid-19 cases are on the rise. Case numbers in the United States are rising rapidly as states in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains struggle to control major outbreaks, and as new hotspots emerge elsewhere in the country.

The national trajectory is only worsening. Wisconsin has opened a field hospital. North Dakota, which not long ago had relatively few cases, now has the most per capita in the country. And across the rural West, states like Alaska, Wyoming and Montana that had long escaped the worst of the pandemic have seen case numbers soar to alarming new records. Average daily new cases of the coronavirus were up by at least 5% on a weekly basis in 39 states on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There were more than 63,600 new cases reported in the U.S. on Thursday, pushing the seven-day average of daily new cases up more than 13% compared with a week ago.

In addition to the anticipated increase in need for general medicines and supplies, the pharmacy chain is preparing itself for a surge in vaccinations. Though pharmacists are trained and educated in how to administer vaccinations, doctors and others in the past lobbied to prevent them from administering these shots saying they lacked training and that physicians should handle immunizations. That has been changing, and now - with the need for an all-hands-on-deck approach to administering the vaccine when (and if) it is ready, these roles will likely be a key part of that supply chain. The company is also marking Pharmacy Technician Day on October 20th by advocating for an expanded scope of practice that would allow trained pharmacy technicians to administer COVID-19 vaccinations under the supervision of an immunization-certified pharmacist.

“Additional team members typically are needed every flu season,” said Lisa Bisaccia, Chief Human Resources Officer, CVS Health. “However, we’re estimating a much greater need for trained pharmacy technicians this year given the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities."

These hires come on top of what has already been a busy season for CVS Health. Since announcing a hiring surge in March, the company has hired about 76,000 full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, according to company spokesman Joe Goode. It currently has about 300,000 employees.

‍