PHI Pharmacy says it may extend its hours of operations, provided that there is a sufficient number of people who require outpatient pharmaceutical services at night to justify additional business hours.
Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider and Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero, American Reform-Saipan, earlier requested PHI Pharmacy to operate on a 24-hour daily basis seven days a week.
Theodore R. Parker, general manager of PHI Pharmacy, said before deciding on the matter, the pharmacy needs to sit down and discuss the matter with Hofschneider and the Commonwealth Health Center’s emergency room staff.
Parker said the pharmacy would also have to determine the added costs—primarily personnel costs—by doing a cost-benefit study.
“But this should not be a problem if a sufficient number of outpatients need our services,” Parker told Hofschneider in a two-page letter.
Parker said the PHI Pharmacy board is also willing to meet with the local health officials.
“I have informally discussed with the PHI board your request for PHI to consider extending its hours of operation, and they are willing to accommodate the patients who cannot come to CHC before 6 p.m. In order to determine whether the hours of operation should be extended, we would need to sit down with you and your staff,” said Parker.
PHI Pharmacy is currently open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and up to 4 p.m. on weekends.
“These hours of operation have worked satisfactorily over the years. To my knowledge, we have never received any complaints over the years regarding outpatient access to prescription drugs and other medications,” said Parker.
Hofschneider said the CNMI’s population has grown to 70,000 and PHI Pharmacy has, for several years now, enjoyed exclusive rights to provide outpatient pharmaceuticals at CHC—the only hospital on Saipan.
“We agree with you and Senator Guerrero that to the extent that PHI Pharmacy is the only authorized retailer of outpatient prescriptions and non-prescription medications located at CHC, we must ensure that access to medication is not adversely affected by PHI Pharmacy’s hours of operation,” Parker added.
