Pharmacy staffing solutions for multi-location chains
Managing the operations of pharmacies at multiple locations poses challenges. There are concerns over ensuring a similar experience for consumers across locations while attempting to keep up with the demand for workforce stabilization that changes week to week. This blog reviews how pharmacy staffing solutions can support chains in improving workflow for all pharmacies through improved staffing compliance and hiring time lag.
Regardless of whether a facility or hospital has five pharmacies or fifty, streamlining the staffing process at scale ensures pharmacy sites can run as intended. Staffing solutions not only allow pharmacies to decrease turnover and enhance customer service for patients noticeably, but also give the pharmacy’s internal team more time to focus on the pharmacy’s day-to-day operations.
If pharmacies can begin implementing a modern staffing solution that considers the future workforce, they can also support the existing workforce and adapt to the changing healthcare landscape as a whole. If implemented properly by pharmacy chains, addressing trends in staffing compliance can allow improved operational efficiencies and provide a better reality for long-term workforce strategy.
Centralized staffing approaches with local flexibility
Many pharmacy chains will want to roll out a centralized staffing strategy and hire staff in a central approach to have consistent hiring, credentialing, and onboarding across all pharmacy locations—to ensure, ultimately, that staff are hired with the same staff level to deliver the same operational experience to patients from location to location, regardless of whether they are considered a community or individual pharmacy care experience.
The only conflict with a centralized approach mentioned earlier is the inability to allow for local/regional flexibilities for scheduling or regulatory hiccups. There must be a balance between scalable solutions and being able to respond, when needed, to the needs of your individual pharmacy sites.
Pharmacies can efficiently hire pharmacists and pharmacy technicians using this centralized model, especially when scaling workforce operations. While recruiting staffing for pharmacy chains, employers must also check for compensation and ensure that employees are paid based on their location to maintain fairness and competitiveness.
Also read: Pharmacy technician shortages: how to fill roles without delays
Annual salary of pharmacists across the States
Source: www.bls.gov
Building a reliable talent pool and talent pipeline
An essential element of Pharmacy Staffing Solutions is the establishment of a float pool. A talent pool is a collection of pharmacy-trained employees who have been vetted by the facilities in advance for coverage at multiple locations when needed. Those positions tend to be off the cuff, resulting in a vacancy that can be filled at the last minute, if ever.
This is another failure of the staffing paradigm, and it creates inconsistencies affecting future care. The float pool also helps deal with the necessity of seasonal spikes, urgent circumstances, or absence. By creating a reliable float pool, we can also improve overall resilience in the workforce and employee satisfaction by reducing employee fatigue/burnout; it can provide more certainty for site managers and HR teams; and float staff can often convert into full-time roles, which assist in reducing overall hiring from outside the facility’s circle at a higher rate than is necessary. Float pools are also a great backup to quickly hire pharmacy technicians when last-minute coverage is needed across sites.
Partnering with a pharmacy staffing agency
A trusted pharmacy staffing agency will give you immediate access to qualified and credentialed pharmacist candidates. An agency knows the regulations and logistics to quickly and compliantly onboard pharmacists in multiple locations without losing time or burdening in-house HR.
Partnering with a pharmacy staffing agency will also ensure the quality of staffing and give consistent results if there is rapid expansion and turnover. An excellent agency will act as an extension of your HR function, offering professional knowledge and networks you may not have on-site. In addition, the agency will handle and streamline processes such as background checks, credential verification, and onboarding paperwork. Working with a reliable staffing partner is a proven way to hire pharmacists swiftly without compromising on quality or compliance.
Also read: Compliance and license considerations for hiring pharmacists
Using technology to standardize pharmacy staffing solutions
Technology is a significant factor in successfully managing multi-location pharmacy staffing. Digital scheduling platforms, license tracking platforms, and shift management software provide a view of multiple pharmacy locations while maintaining local ownership autonomy.
All of these platforms support scheduling to know whether there are adequate shifts covered, help with license compliance, and reduce administrative inconsistencies across all sites. Using these solutions results in consistent visibility, minimization of scheduling conflicts, and all-around enhanced workforce planning. Real-time data means the HR and operations teams are more aligned within their specific business unit, especially during significant changes. Additionally, using technology also allows facilities to scale without creating a disproportionate administrative burden.
Cost-effective staffing for pharmacies
Pharmacy staffing solutions that can be scaled accordingly offer opportunities for pharmacies to decrease costs and expedite hiring. When staffing is consolidated at the enterprise level, companies can take advantage of consolidated contracts, volume-based pricing discounts, and organizational workforce utilization. All of these solutions lead to less disruption to business and more return on investment for staffing spend.
Facilities or pharmacies can also flex staffing upwards or downwards, based on their needs. Effective staffing strategies pave the way for better budgeting and forecasting. Additionally, with a better understanding of staffing spend, businesses can manage their staffing expenses predictably and with enhanced efficiency. This is especially valuable when working with a cost-effective partner who understands staffing management principles for pharmacy chains. Strategically investing in platforms that help hire pharmacy technicians and licensed staff reduces long-term costs and delays.
Even when partnering with cost-effective solutions, smaller pharmacies can still run over budget if staff experience frequent burnout or turnover. To mitigate this, offering benefits like paid time off and encouraging continuing education for professional growth can improve retention and help maintain budget control over time.
Choosing the right staffing partner for lasting pharmacy success
Pharmacies with multiple locations often turn to traditional pharmacy staffing agency models when they face urgent workforce needs. However, many of these agencies present key drawbacks. First, they typically have limited talent pools, leading to delays in pharmacist and technician placements. Second, their manual processes—including background verification, documentation, and onboarding—can slow down recruitment and reduce operational efficiency.
These cons directly affect your ability to maintain consistent service across sites, especially in high-demand or regulated regions. To overcome these limitations, pharmacies must carefully research and assess potential staffing partners before making a decision.
Modern platforms like MedSquirrels offer streamlined and affordable pharmacy staffing solutions to the specific needs of multi-site pharmacy chains. Instead of relying on traditional agency models,
MedSquirrels provides three comprehensive plans:
- Blue Plan – Recruitment only: MedSquirrels sources and screens the ideal candidate for your pharmacy and hands them over for direct onboarding.
- Purple Plan – EOR/Payrolling: For pharmacies that already have candidates, MedSquirrels manages their employment—from payroll to compliance—under one umbrella.
- Orange Plan – Recruitment + EOR/Payrolling: A full-service option where MedSquirrels recruits, hires, and manages employment logistics on your behalf.
Each plan is designed to support growing pharmacy chains by removing administrative burdens, improving placement speed, and ensuring compliance with hiring standards. Whether you are looking to hire pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, or support multi-location pharmacy staffing across states, MedSquirrels gives you the scale and flexibility needed to succeed.
By choosing a modern, tech-enabled solution, you gain access to a broader talent pool, structured onboarding, and reliable support for other healthcare roles, too. To find out how MedSquirrels can align with your facility’s needs, book a demo today and explore your options.
FAQs
Why should I consider centralized pharmacy staffing?
Centralized staffing ensures consistency in hiring, credentialing, and onboarding across all pharmacy locations, improving operational efficiency and reducing compliance risks.
How can I ensure compliance when hiring pharmacy staff?
You can ensure compliance by working with experienced HR teams or partnering with a pharmacy staffing agency that handles licensing, credentialing, and regulatory oversight.
How does pharmacy staffing affect customer experience?
Effective staffing ensures pharmacies are well-staffed with skilled professionals, which improves service delivery, reduces wait times, and enhances patient satisfaction.
How does MedSquirrels support multi-location pharmacy staffing?
MedSquirrels allows centralized control of hiring while offering local flexibility through tech-powered float pools, credential tracking, and shift management tailored for multi-location pharmacy staffing.
Does MedSquirrels work for other healthcare roles?
While it specializes in pharmacy staffing, MedSquirrels also supports other healthcare roles, making it a comprehensive solution for broader healthcare hiring needs.
