By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Massena Memorial Hospital Board of Managers voted on Monday to spend about $97,600 on new software for their in-house pharmacy and a newborn hearing scanner.

The board voted 7-0 in favor. Board member Paul Morrow did not cast a vote, even after a call for abstaining votes.

He was highly critical of the new pharmacy software.

MMH CEO Robert Wollebin said it’s state-mandated. It is the only software they can use to send prescriptions from the emergency room to the pharmacy.

“We spend hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands on this stuff,” Morrow said.

Wollebin said the only alternative is to manually bring prescriptions from the ER to the pharmacy in each case.

“If we don’t do it electronically, manually, it’s nearly impossible to do this,” Wollebin said. “I’m aware there’s only so much cash … there’s no other way to comply with state regulations.”

The software carries a $49,100 price tag. The board also approved a separate program that is for in-patient prescriptions. It costs about $28,700. The newborn hearing scanner will cost $19,800.

MMH CFO James Smith said the items were not budgeted and they will most likely start paying them off next year for five years.