6 years ago by Scott Hardy
Says "all patients are getting effective pain control"
Blessing Hospital says it's feeling the effects of a shortage of certain medicines used to control pain, but that all patients are getting effective pain control.
In a Thursday statement, Blessing says there's a nation-wide shortage of intravenous narcotics, which are used by patients who can't take oral pain medications. Blessing says it's overcoming the shortage through conservation, and using non-narcotic pain relief methods. Conservation efforts include using oral opioids and other non-narcotic pain meds and therapies whenever possible. The hospital says it's also considering asking surgeons to re-schedule elective surgeries that would require high levels of IV narcotics, until the shortage is over. Blessing says the shortage started when Pfizer, the world's largest manufacturer of the medications, changed its' production processes.
Blessing says the shortage could last as long as a year.
