|
CSC report outlines investigation into GMH Pharmacy
The bandages have come off, and as it turns out the wounds aren't healed just yet when it comes to the Guam Memorial Hospital's Pharmacy Department. The Civil Service Commission during a meeting last night revealed the preliminary findings of its audit of the pharmacy positions at GMH.
It's a bitter pill for oversight chair senator and physician Mike Cruz to swallow - a scathing eighteen-page report outlining a combination of factors that have left the Hospital's Pharmacy in a serious situation. "Well, we're certainly surprised," Cruz would say in initial reaction. During a CSC meeting last night, commissioners revealed the preliminary findings of a month-long investigation into the GMH Pharmacy Department.
The Pharmacy plans to cut its hours because of a shortage of pharmacists. Recently three pharmacists indicated they might call it quits because of recent rulings by the CSC regarding their pay and their contracts. If they were to leave that would leave only one pharmacist left at GMH. The audit of GMH's Pharmacy Department was launched on Valentine's Day and the findings released today show anything but love for the hospital's chief pharmacist.
According to the report CSC staff interviewed former pharmacy staff, incumbent pharmacists, incumbent staff, the hospital administrator and nurse supervisors to name a few. According to the report former employees described a climate of fear and intimidation, and felt threatened by the chief hospital pharmacist.
They even went so far as accusing him of treating them like dogs and was demeaning and unprofessional toward them. Nurse supervisors who were interviewed said the chief pharmacist had a tendency to alienate them and "doesn't hesitate to make it known that doctors are dumb and nurses are stupid".
As oversight chair, Senator Cruz staff have also talked with former employees who alleged a hostile working environment at the Pharmacy. According to the senator, he, like the report mentioned, was surprised nothing was done by Hospital management regarding alleged grievances that were filed against the chief pharmacist. The report also addressed the issue of pay and compared the salaries of GMH pharmacists verses the national average.
The results were surprising as the CSC staff found that the chief hospital pharmacist and a Hospital pharmacist for the past two years averaged $80.58 per hour or more than $167,000 per annum and $57.54 per annum, respectively.
According to the CSC this far exceeds the per hour salaries of other experienced full-time pharmacists at the Hospital, on Guam and in some cases, nationwide. Further the CSC found the Hospital didn't have a written plan of action to address the critical shortage of pharmacists and the need to aggressively recruit for the positions during last fiscal year, other than placing advertisements in the media, on the Hospital's web site, and in professional journals.
According to Senator Cruz the CSC report will be a primary focus of a continued oversight with GMH scheduled for Monday. As for reaction from the Hospital regarding the CSC report GMH administrator Bill McMillan declined an on-camera interview and further told KUAM the chief pharmacist Robert Winegar would not be commenting on the report either. McMillan however did comment that the allegations were unfounded and were allegations from disgruntled employees.
McMillan added the questions contained in the audit were similar; questions asked by the oversight chair accused the CSC and the lawmaker of collusion. The Hospital administrator is referring the report to the Hospital's legal counsel and calls the report "far from objective".
McMillan also said none of the former employees who allegedly shared the information about Winegar never approached him or filed any kind of complaint. He contends Winegar is a valuable employee. The report did include testimony from incumbent Pharmacy employees, who praised the chief pharmacist for his intelligence and the fact that they are learning a lot from him since he took over the department, the incumbent employees say they have seen a lot of improvement with the Pharmacy, especially with the cleanliness of the pharmacy area, the workflow, a reduction in interruptions from visitors and better discipline and attendance by support staff.
On a positive note, CSC executive director Vern Perez tells KUAM News that pay was found to be an issue in the recruitment and last night, commissioners voted to adopt new pay regulations that raise the salaries to a competitive wage.
|