F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
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Significant Medication Errors in LTC Facility

Odin Health And Rehab CenterOdin, Illinois Survey Completed on 05-15-2024

Summary

The facility failed to ensure residents were free from significant medication errors, resulting in severe consequences for three residents. One resident, who had a history of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, was administered insulin without a prior blood glucose check due to a shortage of glucose monitoring strips. This led to a critically low blood glucose level of 37, causing altered mental status and necessitating emergency medical intervention. The nurse on duty did not notify the physician about the inability to check the blood sugar levels and proceeded with insulin administration based on incorrect assumptions and incomplete communication among staff members. Another resident, also with diabetes, did not have their blood glucose level checked before insulin administration due to the same shortage of glucose strips. Despite the lack of a blood glucose reading, the resident was given multiple doses of insulin, which could have led to severe health complications. The facility's policies on insulin administration and blood glucose monitoring were not followed, and there was a lack of proper documentation and communication regarding the shortage of supplies and the necessary medical procedures. A third resident experienced increased anxiety and behavioral symptoms due to a medication error. The resident was prescribed hydralazine instead of hydroxyzine for anxiety, leading to inappropriate treatment and subsequent psychiatric hospitalization. The error was not identified or corrected in a timely manner, and the resident missed doses of their prescribed medication, further exacerbating their condition. The facility's failure to ensure accurate medication administration and proper communication with the prescribing physician contributed to the resident's deteriorating mental health and need for hospitalization.

Removal Plan

  • Immediate actions taken for residents identified: R23 was sent to the ER and received care for hypoglycemia.
  • How the facility identified other residents who could potentially be affected: All residents that are diabetic, have physician's orders for accuchecks, and receive insulin have the potential to be affected by the alleged deficient practice.
  • Measures put into place/ System changes: Facility staff were educated by phone or in person prior to start of scheduled next shift. Facility nurse staff will not be allowed to work until the following categories have been in-serviced: Licensed nursing staff were educated on the Accucheck policy by: RN Regional Nurse Consultant with emphasis on obtaining and documenting as ordered. Licensed nursing staff were educated on Insulin Administration by: RN Regional Nurse Consultant with an emphasis on insulin being administered as ordered and in accordance with current standards of practice. Education was provided for licensed nursing staff of what to do when they don't have appropriate or adequate diabetic supplies by: RN, Regional Nurse Consultant. Facility did an inventory for accucheck test strips with an estimated supply of 30 days. Illinois Department of Professional Regulation was contacted by: Chief Executive Officer via email involving incident. Facility has completed a full facility review of all residents that have diabetes with orders for accuchecks and insulin, with reviews and updates to their plan of care as needed. Facility company management reviewed and/or revised any policies and procedures to ensure necessary care and services are provided to residents with Diabetes Mellitus. Those polices consisted of: Medication Administration. Insulin Administration. Following Physician's orders. Accucheck policy. Change of Condition Policy. Medication Error Policy. Those that reviewed those policies were: RN, Chief Nursing Officer RN Regional Clinical Consultant Regional Operations/Clinical Consultant Chief Executive Officer.
  • How the corrective actions will be monitored: The Director of Nursing or designee will complete random audits of 5 residents per week for a period of 8 weeks of the following categories: 1.) Accucheck was completed per physician's orders and documented. 2.) Insulin was administered as per physician's orders and documented. 3.) Appropriate and adequate supplies to complete per physician's orders. Any issues with accucheck completion of insulin administration will be addressed per policy and ad hoc education will be provided at that time. Results of the above reviews will be discussed at a weekly quality assurance meeting for a period of 4 weeks and will provide additional education as needed and implement interventions for improvement until resolution.

Penalty

No penalty information released
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0760 citations
Significant Medication Error and Systemic Failures in Resident Identification
K
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A significant medication error occurred when an agency RN, unfamiliar with residents and lacking clear identification procedures, administered morphine sulfate and levothyroxine ordered for one severely cognitively impaired resident to that resident’s cognitively impaired roommate, after calling out the wrong name and failing to verify identity via the electronic health record photo or another reliable method. The resident who received the wrong medications developed profound bradycardia and hypotension, was transferred to the ED with accidental opioid poisoning, and required naloxone to stabilize vital signs before returning to the facility. Surveyors also found that multiple residents lacked identification photos in the EHR despite facility policy, and staff reported relying on familiarity, resident self-identification, or room nameplates instead of a consistent, reliable process, creating a systemic breakdown in resident identification during medication administration.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Medications Left Unattended at Bedside and Not Administered as Prescribed
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A cognitively intact resident with end stage renal disease, GI hemorrhage, and anemia had ordered medications including Velphoro, sucralfate, and midodrine, but surveyors observed four medication cups containing these drugs left unattended on the bedside table while the assigned medication aide was at the cart and unable to see the resident. The aide confirmed the medications belonged to the resident, stated they must have been left from a prior shift, and acknowledged she had not yet given that morning’s doses and that staff are expected to observe residents swallowing medications. A nurse from the previous shift also denied intentionally leaving medications at the bedside but agreed this practice was inappropriate. The resident reported that nurses often left medications at the bedside without always informing him he was expected to take them. The physician stated that failure to receive these medications as ordered had the potential for significant adverse effects, and both the unit manager and DON stated that medications were not to be left at the bedside and that residents must be assessed before any self-administration is allowed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Properly Administer Ordered Crushed Medication
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression had physician orders for 40 mg of Ingreeza daily for drug-induced subacute dyskinesia and for all medications to be crushed, consistent with the care plan directing pills to be finely crushed. During a medication pass, an LPN prepared the Ingreeza capsule softened in pudding and administered it without opening the capsule and sprinkling the contents, thereby not crushing the medication as ordered. In interviews, the LPN and facility leadership confirmed that the medication was not administered according to the physician order and that this constituted a significant medication error.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Significant Medication Error From Misidentification During Med Pass
G
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with CHF and paroxysmal AFib was mistakenly given a roommate’s medications when an LPN entered a shared room, called out the roommate’s name, and administered the prepared medications to the other bed after that resident responded. The facility’s policy required licensed staff to verify resident identity using identifiers such as ID bands, photos, or staff confirmation, but this verification was not performed. As a result, the resident received multiple unintended drugs, including aspirin, Xcopri, Aptiom, levetiracetam, lorazepam, morphine, acetaminophen, carbidopa-levodopa, and gabapentin. The resident initially appeared stable but then developed lethargy and hypotension, leading to Narcan administration, EMS activation, and hospital transfer, where records confirmed accidental ingestion of the roommate’s medications with resultant lethargy and hypotension.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Ensure Timely and Complete Medication Administration for Two Residents
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

Two residents experienced repeated medication errors when nurses failed to administer multiple ordered medications within the facility’s required time window and, in some cases, did not administer them at all. One resident with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and respiratory issues repeatedly received late doses of Gabapentin, Advair, and Albuterol, and reported severe leg pain when Gabapentin was delayed. Another resident with COPD, heart failure, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis did not receive a scheduled lidocaine pain patch and had missing doses of Jardiance and Gabapentin during a late morning med pass, while still receiving other oral medications and an inhaler. Nursing staff and the DON acknowledged that medications are expected to be given within one hour before or after the ordered time and that late or omitted doses are not in accordance with physician orders, despite a facility policy requiring safe, timely administration and adherence to the five rights of medication administration.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Transcribe and Administer Ordered Antibiotics and Wrong IV Medication Administration
G
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with a history of lumbar discitis/osteomyelitis and chronic myeloid leukemia had IV daptomycin discontinued after imaging showed improvement, and an ID physician faxed new orders for PO levofloxacin and PO vancomycin. Although the fax was confirmed as received and scanned, nursing did not transcribe these antibiotics into the EMR or MAR, and they were not administered for approximately two months, even as the resident reported to the ID physician via telehealth that she was tolerating levofloxacin, believing she was taking it. The oral antibiotic orders did not appear in the physician order listing until after the resident was hospitalized again for fever and pain, when imaging showed recurrent discitis/osteomyelitis and the hospital continued or resumed levofloxacin and PO vancomycin. In a separate incident, an LPN administered another resident’s IV ertapenem instead of the ordered IV daptomycin to this resident after taking the wrong medication from the refrigerator, contrary to facility policies requiring medications to be administered according to physician orders and pending orders to be checked and confirmed after physician visits.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

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