What happened to CVS pharmacist Ashleigh Anderson? 2021 incident explained amid workplace uprising

The news of CVS pharmacist Ashleigh Anderson’s death in 2021 propelled demands for changes in the workplace. USA Today published a report Thursday detailing Ashleigh’s untimely demise from a fatal heart attack. She worked at the CVS store in Indiana's Seymour.

As per the report, Ashleigh’s death was fueled by persistent understaffing, increased responsibilities, and extreme stress imposed on workers in the pharmaceutical industry.

Prem Shah, CVS's Chief Pharmacy Officer and Executive Vice President, recently sent a memo to the company’s staff on Thursday. In the memo, he expressed his sorrow over Ashleigh Anderson’s tragic death and outlined the company’s plan to invest in creating a positive and safer work environment.

The commitment includes workload management, better employee compensation, investments in technology, and enhancement of customer experience. However, Shah’s internal memo was heavily criticized online as being tone-deaf.

CVS had only recently experienced employee walkouts in October of last year. Aside from CVS, some of the biggest pharmacy chains in the US, including Walgreens workers, also staged strikes to protest against overworking conditions.

In September 2023, employees at around a dozen CVS stores in Kansas did not show up. These issues have seemingly not been resolved as the report of Asheigh's death enraged many employees as they complained about still being burnt out.

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Ashleigh Anderson collapsed while working at the CVS store

Ashleigh Anderson, who died on September 10, 2021, had looked up her symptoms that morning. According to the USA Today report, she was suffering from cold sweats, nausea, jaw pain, and chest pain. Right after the 41-year-old began her shift as the sole staff on duty that day, she messaged her boyfriend, Joe Bowman:

"I think I am having a heart attack."

Around that time, pharmacies alike were reeling from the added pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontline workers like Ashleigh were already burned out beyond the limit. They had to vaccinate patients and fill out prescriptions without taking lunch or bathroom breaks, and it went on for months.

The counter of the Seymour store was open 24 hours, and patients kept coming in to pick up medications or get vaccinated. At that time, Ashleigh Anderson was promoted to the role of manager despite her persistent refusal to shoulder more responsibilities. Two other staff pharmacists also left around the same time, leaving the remaining staff grappling to fill hundreds of prescriptions each day.

Ashleigh Anderson's condition that day demanded immediate medical attention. However, she could not abruptly leave the counter without another worker taking her place, or else she would have had to close the counter, which could have affected the store's performance altogether.

However, after making some calls, she arranged for another person to cover for her. Ashleigh was finally going to get a quick check-up done at a nearby medical center but collapsed in the pharmacy itself. She was attended to by a customer, who was also a nurse. CPR was performed while first responders arrived.

Ashleigh was put on ventilation and was given chest compressions. They also tried to revive her heartbeat using a defibrillator. When nothing seemed to work, she was rushed to the emergency room at the nearby clinic. Staff at Schneck Medical Center injected three rounds of epinephrine to prod her heart. However, by then, Ashleigh's heart had stopped pumping blood, and she was pronounced dead.

An autopsy report revealed that Ashleigh Anderson had severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and a 99% blockage on her left anterior descending artery. Dr. Eric Topol, a veteran cardiologist and the executive vice president at Scripps Research, said:

"If she had gone in quickly when she realized she was having a heart attack, the artery would have been opened up, and she most likely would have survived."

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Revelation of Ashleigh Anderson's death spurs CVS to address workplace issues

In his memo, Prem Shah claimed he and his team are dedicated to following a few principles, including:

"Fostering a culture of safety for our patients, customers, and colleagues. Creating an environment built on two-way dialogue. Elevating and advancing the practice of pharmacy."

Shah continued that from the store-based reviews, they have started making investments to provide CVS employees with a more balanced and positive work environment.

CVS told FOX Business in a statement that it does not want any staff to stay at work if they feel under the weather or experience a medical emergency. The company also encouraged its workers to report issues at the workplace, if any, and they can be anonymous about it.