Pharmacies across the United States are currently grappling with a significant disruption in prescription processing services following a cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth. The company disclosed in a regulatory filing that its Change Healthcare business, responsible for processing prescriptions to insurance for tens of thousands of pharmacies nationwide, fell victim to hackers who gained unauthorized access to some of its systems.
As a result of the cyberattack, numerous pharmacies have reported difficulties in fulfilling prescription orders. Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, located in California, has been rendered incapable of processing any prescription claims, restricting its services to handling only emergency and urgent prescriptions from hospital providers. Similarly, Evans Army Community Hospital in Colorado has acknowledged delays in prescription processing, impacting both the dispensing and refilling of medications.
The disruption caused by the cyberattack has extended beyond military institutions. GoodRX, a popular platform offering discounts on prescriptions, has confirmed that its services have been disrupted as well. Additionally, Moffet Drug, a small pharmacy situated in Norton, Kansas, has reported disruptions to its services, highlighting the widespread impact of the cyber incident on various healthcare facilities and service providers.
UnitedHealth, the parent company of Change Healthcare, has raised concerns regarding the nature of the cyberattack, suggesting the involvement of a nation-state-sponsored threat actor. While the company has taken immediate measures to isolate the affected systems and notify law enforcement authorities, the exact motive and perpetrators behind the attack remain undisclosed.
The severity of the cyber incident has prompted the American Hospital Association to issue a recommendation advising medical facilities to disconnect from UnitedHealth’s network until the issue is effectively resolved. This precautionary measure aims to mitigate the potential risk of exposure to the same attackers that targeted Change Healthcare.
Despite the disruption caused by the cyberattack, Change Healthcare has assured stakeholders that the incident appears to be specific to its network and has not spread to other systems within UnitedHealth. However, the company anticipates that the disruption will persist throughout the day, with updates expected as more information becomes available.
As companies are mandated to report cyberattacks to investors through the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the ongoing investigation into the incident may shed light on the motives and culprits behind the attack. While the attack bears resemblance to previous ransomware incidents that have plagued healthcare networks in the past, the involvement of a nation-state-sponsored threat actor adds a layer of complexity to the situation.
Amidst the ongoing disruption, pharmacies and healthcare facilities are diligently working to address the challenges posed by the cyberattack and ensure the timely delivery of essential medications to patients nationwide.
