Failure to Administer Long-Acting Insulin as Prescribed
Summary
The facility did not ensure that long-acting insulin was administered consistently as per physician orders for two residents. Resident #119, who has diagnoses including diabetes mellitus type II, cerebral vascular accident, and peripheral vascular disease, did not receive their prescribed insulin glargine on multiple occasions. Specifically, the insulin was not administered on 09/16/2023, 09/24/2023, 10/21/2023, and 10/30/2023 due to reasons such as blood sugar being within normal parameters or the resident being asleep. However, there were no documented parameters indicating when to hold the insulin. Resident #119 expressed uncertainty about receiving their insulin on time and mentioned sometimes only receiving pills instead of insulin. The Minimum Data Set Assessment indicated that Resident #119 was cognitively intact, and the care plan documented the need to provide medications as ordered. The facility's failure to administer insulin as prescribed was confirmed through interviews with the resident and staff, as well as a review of the medication administration records and physician orders. The Director of Nursing and the Pharmacy consultant both acknowledged that there were no parameters for holding long-acting insulin and that it should have been administered as a standing order. The Charge Nurse admitted to not conducting audits or checking medication administration records for completion, which contributed to the oversight in insulin administration for Resident #119 and Resident #116. Resident #116, who has diagnoses including diabetes type II, hypertension, and major depressive disorder, also did not receive their prescribed Levemir insulin on multiple occasions. The insulin was not administered on 9/4/2023, 10/10/2023, 10/15/2023, 10/19/2023, 10/27/2023, and 10/31/2023 due to blood sugar levels being within normal parameters. Similar to Resident #119, there were no documented parameters for holding the insulin, and the Charge Nurse and Pharmacy consultant confirmed that the insulin should have been administered as a standing order. The Director of Nursing stated that medication errors were part of quality assurance but had not been addressed because the facility did not have medication errors. The facility's failure to administer insulin as prescribed for both residents was identified during the recertification survey, highlighting a deficiency in medication administration practices.
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