Local pharmacies face virus-related staffing issues, shortages

Paul Scota owns two local pharmacies in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, he may have to reduce that to only one due to how brutal the market is right now for small, privately-owned businesses.

"I’m 90 percent delivery here, during the break-ins I was 100 percent delivery and now with COVID people don’t want to go out so free delivery. That costs me money," Scota said

In the past couple of weeks, he’s had to close his shop due to employees with COVID-19 and the lack of staffing to fill their absences. Something the entire industry is experiencing.

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"There’s a lot. I’ve had techs quit. Just take their vacations and ghost us. We spend months training them to do pill pack, and they just went home and collected against me," Scota said.

He says he will do what he can to keep the local, family-owned pharmacies alive.

"I just think it’s more personal. We know the people, when you go to a chain, ya know, they have a floater there…it’s all about volume," Scota said

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