Kaiser Permanente is currently facing a system outage that has compelled its hospitals and pharmacies to process prescriptions manually using pen and paper, which is causing delays in various services across the organization.
According to a statement from spokesperson Kathleen Campini Chambers to The Verge, “Kaiser Permanente is experiencing network disruptions at one of our data centers that are affecting some of our applications. All of our clinical facilities remain operational; however, members might encounter delays in services such as lab, radiology, and pharmacy, both online and at our facilities. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and our technical teams are diligently working to rectify the issue as quickly as possible. For updates, members can visit kp.org.”
The company is also alerting users on its regional websites, including those for Northern California and Oregon/SW Washington, stating, “Currently, some features on our site, such as e-visits, billing, message center, and records, may be inaccessible.”
A staff member at The Verge experienced the disruption firsthand when attempting to fill a prescription at a Kaiser hospital pharmacy, where all systems, including payment terminals, were down. The pharmacists resorted to completing a point-of-sale form for prescriptions, and consumers were warned of potential long wait times, with estimates reaching up to an hour for a straightforward prescription.
Reports of similar issues have also surfaced on a Reddit thread from locations including Southern California and Maryland. Kaiser Permanente has been responsive on X, acknowledging the system outages and assuring users that they are “working to restore services as soon as possible.”
Update, May 28th: Included a statement from Kaiser Permanente.
