CHC pharmacy closed on weekends

Friday, July 06, 2012

DUE TO LACK OF PHARMACIST

The Commonwealth Health Center's pharmacy, one of the key areas of the public hospital, was ordered closed during weekends due to the lack of staff.

Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Juan N. Babauta confirmed with Saipan Tribune yesterday that CHC pharmacy will be closed during Saturdays and Sundays until the organization fills the vacancy for a pharmacist.

The closure of the hospital pharmacy started last week when in-patient pharmacist Anthony Raho went on terminal leave.

Raho, who is also an elected board member of the corporation board, quit his job to join the private sector effective yesterday, July 5.

Babauta said that CHC has only one pharmacist left since Raho's departure. He said the decision to temporarily close the pharmacy is to avoid the lone pharmacist from being burned out. Until a replacement for Raho is found, the weekend closure will stand. Babauta said.

He, however, assured that the pharmacy will be open during weekdays.

According to Babauta, the corporation is now working on the details on how a locum pharmacist can come in quickly. We're currently working on that now. In fact, we're starting to process one locum pharmacist, he told Saipan Tribune.

As a longtime CHC pharmacist, Raho shares that the volume of in-patient clients they accommodate varies each day. But there's always critical work to be done, complicated drugs that needed to be provided to patients at the hospital.

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CHC pharmacy closed on weekends