Expired Medications Found in Facility
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to remove expired medications from two of three medication rooms and one of five medication carts, which could potentially compromise patient safety. During an inspection on April 10, 2025, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) was observed attempting to administer a 250-milligram tablet of Vitamin C to a resident. The Vitamin C had expired in December 2024, and the LPN acknowledged that the expiration date should have been checked before administration. This incident occurred on the 200 Hall medication cart. Further inspection of the medication rooms revealed additional expired medications. In one medication room, a bottle of Vitamin C 250 mg was found to have expired in December 2024. In another medication room, an opened vial of Insulin Lispro, dated February 14, 2025, was found. According to the label, this medication should have been discarded within 28 days of opening, but it had not been. The facility's policy, dated November 2011, requires that nurses check expiration dates before administering medications and that expired medications be removed and destroyed. The policy also specifies that vials should be discarded 30 days after being opened.