Across nine states and Washington, D.C., some Ascension pharmacies cannot fill prescriptions as the St. Louis-based health system works to recover from a May 8 cyberattack.
The ransomware attack has disrupted access to some EHRs and patient portals, and some systems used to order tests and medications are also down, according to Ascension's webpage on the cybersecurity event.
As of May 16, the health system cannot fill some prescriptions at retail pharmacies in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Ascension is redirecting those patients' medication needs to nearby pharmacies.
In Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri, there is no interruption to healthcare services, according to the webpage. Patients in Maryland and Tennessee are asked to bring their prescription numbers or bottles, and outpatient pharmacies in Maryland are cash-only because of the cybersecurity event.
"Our leadership, physicians, care teams and associates are working to ensure patient care continues with minimal to no interruption," an Ascension spokesperson told Becker's. "We are also working diligently on our restoration efforts. We are making progress, however, it will take time to return to normal operations."
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