WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Health plans to hire another 15,000 employees in the coming months, the company said on Monday. These new and existing positions will help the company continue to respond to the needs of communities across the country during the fall and winter months when the incidences of COVID-19 and the flu are expected to increase.

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, helping increase support for patients and fellow pharmacy professionals. Many of the positions are temporary with the possibility of becoming permanent.

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. As an integral part of the health care system, pharmacy technicians can help fill the urgent need to safely and quickly scale distribution of a vaccine and extend the capacity of the health care workforce to address the pandemic.

“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 jobs offer a rewarding career opportunity, with flexible hours, advancement potential and a supportive environment while helping people on their path to better health.”

CVS pharmacy technicians, working under a pharmacist’s supervision, process prescriptions, dispense medications, provide information to customers or health professionals and perform administrative tasks. They also are vital to administering COVID-19 tests at more than 4,000 drive-thru testing sites at select CVS Pharmacy locations across the country, the company said.

CVS’s hiring push will also include pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, member benefit case professionals, and distribution center employees.

The company is also recruiting several thousand work-from-home customer service representative positions across the country, with hundreds of openings in such markets as Indianapolis, Ind.; Kansas City, Mo; Knoxville, Tenn; Mt. Prospect, Ill; Orlando, Fla; Pittsburgh, Pa; and  San Antonio, Texas.

“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, CVS Health.

The additional 15,000 positions are incremental to the accelerated recruiting effort that was announced in March to hire 50,000 new colleagues in support of the company’s response to the pandemic.