412 East College Way,
Mount Vernon,
98273
Washington,
United States
Hazard Location. Inside pharmacies, pharmacy pass-thru drawer at drive-up window, patient consultation rooms. From July 16, 2020 through July 21, 2020, we received numerous concerns and complaints from Rite Aid Pharmacy employees regarding a new mandate to conduct COVID-19 testing at certain pharmacies throughout WA state. Attached is a list of all twenty Rite Aid Pharmacy locations that are conducting these tests. Allegations and concerns have been compiled and are as follows: - Testing began Thursday, July 16, 2020, with minimal to no training provided to staff. - COVID19 testing is conducted via the drive-thru drawer at pharmacy. 1 patient every 10 minutes. - All testing materials are passed to patient through drawer, pharmacist observes and assists patient conduct own test through window, patient then passes viral test tube with specimen, all packaging and materials potential COVID patient has handled loosely back through drawer. Pharmacist then must take specimen, ensure proper patient name label on test tube, place in bag, and place in refrigerator. All biomedical wastes are disposed of in an open cardboard box with a plain, black garbage bag that sits open in the pharmacy or patient counseling room. - Staff concerned about improper PPE supplied - only paper masks and gloves. - Staff concerned about safety of employees with loose, contaminated materials, and exposed biomedical/biohazard box not clearly marked open, uncovered in pharmacy or patient rooms. - Staff concerned about safety to other patients who are picking up their prescriptions through this same drawer that COVID19 specimens are loosely being exchanged through (staff says they were instructed to make up their own cleaning solution daily for the drawers). - Staff have not received any additional hours of staffing and are concerned with patient safety of filling prescriptions. One pharmacist must stay at the drive through window most of the day assisting with COVID19 testing and no additional staff have been provided to fill prescriptions. - Rite Aid management threatened to terminate employees if they report concerns to state agencies.
Source: Osha.gov | Receipt Date: 2020-07-28
