Admissions temporarily delayed at NH Hospital

BC-NH — Pharmacist Shortage,0130

Admissions temporarily delayed at NH Hospital

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CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire Hospital had to turn away six patients this week because of a shortage of pharmacists.

Paula Mattis, the hospital’s acting chief executive, told the Concord Monitor that the state psychiatric hospital was forced to delay admissions for 24 hours because both of its two full-time pharmacists were out sick. The hospital has five vacant positions that are funded, but it has been unable to fill them due to a national shortage of pharmacists.

Mattis said the hospital decided to defer admissions to cut back on the work pharmacy technicians had to handle since new patients often are most in need of medication. Administrative staff answered the phones, and only emergency medication orders were filled.

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Information from: Concord Monitor, http://www.cmonitor.com