Failure to Remove and Destroy Discontinued Controlled Medications
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that completed or discontinued controlled medications were promptly removed from medication carts and properly destroyed, as required by federal regulations and facility policy. During observations and interviews, surveyors found that controlled medications, specifically Ativan 0.5 mg tablets, remained in the medication carts for two residents after the medications had been discontinued or completed. In one instance, a nurse confirmed that a bubble pack containing forty Ativan tablets for a resident with a history of radiculopathy, convulsions, and muscle spasm was still present in the cart, despite the medication order having ended weeks prior. The nurse acknowledged that the medication should have been surrendered to the DON for destruction. A similar situation was observed with another resident diagnosed with dementia, psychotic disturbance, and pain. Two bubble packs of Ativan, containing a total of thirty tablets, were found in the medication cart, even though the medications had been completed the previous year. The nurse responsible for the cart confirmed that the medications should have been removed and given to the DON for destruction, and acknowledged that keeping discontinued controlled medications in the cart was unsafe. Interviews with the DON and the pharmacy consultant confirmed that the facility's policy requires discontinued or completed controlled medications to be immediately removed from medication carts, documented, and stored securely until destruction. Record reviews corroborated that the medications in question had not been administered for several months, yet remained accessible in the carts. The facility's failure to follow its own procedures and federal requirements resulted in the presence of unused controlled substances in medication carts, as directly observed by surveyors.
Plan Of Correction
F755 Pharmacy Srvcs/Procedures/Pharmacist/Records How the corrective action(s) will be accomplished for those residents found to have been affected by the deficient practice: a) Resident #8 and Resident #59 discontinued medications were removed from the cart immediately on 04/09/2025. How the facility will identify other residents having the potential to be affected by the same deficient practice and what action will be taken: b) An audit of all medication carts was completed on 05/01/2025 by Nurse Supervisor to ensure all discontinued medications were removed from the cart and logged for destruction. All residents have the potential to be affected by this deficient practice. No other residents were identified to have this same deficient practice. What measures will be put into place or what systemic changes you will take to ensure that the deficient practice will not recur: c) In-Service was conducted by DON to Licensed Nurses on 04/17/2025 regarding the importance of ensuring that all resident's discontinued medications were removed from the medication cart. d) DON and/or designee will conduct random audits of medication carts for discontinued medications. Any issues identified during these audits will be brought forth to the five-day a week department manager morning meeting for review, validation and immediate correction. How the facility plans to monitor its performance to make sure that solutions are sustained. The facility must develop a plan for ensuring that correction is achieved and sustained. This plan must be implemented, and the corrective action must be evaluated for its effectiveness. This plan of correction is integrated into the quality assurance system: e) DON and/or designee will conduct random audits of medication carts for discontinued medications. Any issues identified during these audits will be brought forth to the five-day a week department manager morning meeting for review, validation and immediate correction. Non-compliance issues identified will be reviewed and resolved. DON and/or designee will do trending/analysis and will report to the quarterly QAPI Committee for further evaluation and/or recommendations. 05/01/2025
Penalty
Resources
Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:
The facility failed to ensure accurate pharmaceutical services for two residents and related medication storage and recordkeeping. An LPN administered a resident’s insulin glargine pen without priming it first, and a controlled medication log for another resident’s hydrocodone-acetaminophen did not match the blister pack count. In addition, a controlled substance reconciliation log for a medication aide cart had been signed before shift change, and an expired IV tubing supply was found in the LTC medication room.
Medication Error Not Investigated or Documented: The facility failed to investigate, document, and address a reported Zepbound medication error for a resident with moderate cognitive impairment and multiple diagnoses. The event report noted a wrong dose, but the record contained no clear explanation of what occurred, no documented root cause investigation, and no documented actions taken; the DON and RN both stated the process was incomplete, and the consultant pharmacist noted the expected documentation and follow-up for medication errors.
Controlled medications were not properly tracked because the narcotic accountability sheets in one medication cart had multiple entries without the required signatures from two nurses. During the audit, RN #1 and the DON both confirmed that two nurses should have signed the narcotic count sheets.
Controlled substance records were not properly maintained for the Hall A and Hall B medication carts because shift-change narcotic count signatures were missing on multiple occasions. LVNs stated that two nurses were not verifying the count by signing the book, and the DON, ADM, and CCN confirmed that missing signatures meant there was no proof the count was completed and accurate. The facility policy required a physical inventory of controlled meds at each shift change by two licensed nurses or an allowed nurse and med aide.
Incorrect Zyprexa Dose Remained Active on MAR: A resident with psychotic disorder and hallucinations had a Zyprexa dose reduced per MD order, but the prior 10 mg order was not discontinued and both the 5 mg and 10 mg doses remained active on the MAR. The MAR showed both doses were administered daily until clarification was entered, and the LVN stated he entered the new order but thought the old order had been discontinued.
A resident with ESRD, DM2, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and parkinsonism did not receive ordered Renvela for an extended period despite an active EMAR order. Review showed repeated hold periods and no doses administered across multiple months, while the dialysis RD said the medication was used for elevated phosphorus and had been filled previously. Staff interviews showed confusion about whether dialysis or the facility pharmacy should refill the medication, and the DON confirmed the medication was not readily available even though it should have been.
Pharmaceutical Services and Controlled Substance Recordkeeping Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide pharmaceutical services to meet resident needs and to ensure drug records were in order for two residents, one medication cart, and one medication room. Resident #8 had diagnoses including heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and his MDS documented severe cognitive impairment and insulin use. During a medication pass observation, an LVN administered 15 units of Insulin Glargine pen without priming the pen first. The LVN stated priming was important to ensure the pen was working properly and that failure to prime could affect the dose received. Resident #20 had diagnoses including asthma, depression, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and sciatica, and her MDS documented severe cognitive impairment and active sciatica. During observation of the nurse cart, the controlled medication log for Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen 7.5-325 mg did not match the blister pack count: the log showed 6 tablets should have been available, but the pack contained 5 tablets. The LVN stated the tablet should be logged out immediately after administration. The facility also observed that the controlled medication reconciliation log for the 500 hall medication aide cart had been signed in advance of the next shift change, and the medication aide stated it should not be signed early because the cart could be taken away and something could go missing. During observation of the LTC unit medication room, an expired IV tubing supply was found on the shelves with medication equipment and supplies. The LVN stated expired items should not be in the storage room, and the DON and Administrator both stated expired supplies should not be in the medication rooms. The facility policy for insulin pen use required a safety test before each injection, and the controlled medications policy required immediate documentation after administration and a physical inventory at each shift change.
Medication Error Not Investigated or Documented
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure a reported medication error involving Zepbound for a resident with moderate cognitive impairment and diagnoses including morbid obesity, cerebral palsy, and obstructive sleep apnea was investigated, documented, and addressed in accordance with facility policy. The resident’s event report identified a wrong dose on 4/22/26, but the report did not identify any investigation into the event or any actions taken to prevent further events, and the medical record contained no further information about the incident. During interviews, the DON stated there was a lapse in the process and that an investigation was not completed. The DON reported staff explained the medication did not come from the pharmacy and that the resident did not receive the dose, although the event report stated wrong dose. RN-A also stated there was no documentation explaining what occurred or what actions were taken. The consultant pharmacist stated staff were expected to complete a thorough root cause investigation and analysis, with follow-up and detailed documentation for any medication error, including resident assessment, physician notification when indicated, monitoring for adverse effects, and measures to prevent recurrence. The facility policy stated that when a medication error occurs, the licensed nurse provides any necessary immediate care and notifies the attending provider and resident or resident representative when nursing or medical intervention, observation, or treatment is indicated, and that medication errors are tracked and trended for quality improvement purposes.
Incomplete Narcotic Count Documentation
Penalty
Summary
Controlled medications were not tracked and kept secure from potential theft and/or diversion because the facility failed to ensure the narcotic accountability sheets were properly signed by licensed nurses. During a medication cart audit, multiple dates were found on the narcotic accountability sheets without a documented on-coming or off-going licensed nurse signature, including several entries in late April, May, and early June. RN #1 stated that two nurses should have signed the narcotic accountability sheet and had not, and the DON also stated that two nurses should have signed off on the narcotic count sheets.
Missing Controlled Substance Count Signatures on Medication Carts
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to determine that controlled drug records were in order and that an account of all controlled drugs was maintained and periodically reconciled for the Hall A and Hall B medication carts. During record review, the narcotic books for both carts were found to have missing signatures documenting shift-to-shift controlled substance counts. On the Hall A medication cart, signatures were missing on 12/30/2025, 1/1/2026, 1/2/2026, 1/19/2026, 1/26/2026, 1/30/2026, 1/31/2026, 2/12/2026, 3/9/2026, 3/11/2026, 3/26/2026, and 4/2/2026. On the Hall B medication cart, signatures were missing on 5/3/2026 and 5/30/2026. During interviews, LVN G and LVN F stated that two nurses were not verifying the narcotic count by signing the book and that, if the count was off, there would be no way to know who to contact or verify that two nurses had counted the medications. The DON stated that when the narcotic book lacks signatures, the count could be incorrect and directly affect the medications the resident receives. The ADM stated missing shift-count signatures can result in an inaccurate count and lead to missing medication doses for residents. The CCN stated that without the narcotic sheet signatures, there is no physical proof that a medication count was completed and accurate. The facility policy required a physical inventory of controlled medications at each shift change by two licensed nurses or an allowed nurse and medication aide, documented on an audit record or accountability record.
Incorrect Zyprexa Dose Remained Active on MAR
Penalty
Summary
Pharmaceutical services were not provided to meet the needs of Resident #32 when the facility failed to discontinue an old Zyprexa 10 mg order after the dose was changed to 5 mg in the evening. Resident #32 was admitted with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder with hallucinations and was documented as rarely/never understood with severely impaired cognition. The resident’s care plan addressed psychotropic medication use and gradual dose reduction considerations, and a pharmacy recommendation was made to decrease Zyprexa from 10 mg to 5 mg in the evening, which was signed by the physician on 5/22/2026. The active order summary showed both Zyprexa 5 mg and Zyprexa 10 mg as active, and the MAR showed both doses were administered daily from 5/22/2026 until a clarification order was entered on 6/3/2026. During interview, LVN A stated he received the dose reduction order, notified the hospice provider, entered the new 5 mg order, and thought he had discontinued the 10 mg order, but did not know why it remained active. The DON stated the charge nurse was responsible for entering new orders into the MAR and later obtained clarification from hospice regarding the medication dose.
Failure to Provide Ordered Phosphate Binder
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide pharmaceutical services to ensure accurate acquiring, receiving, dispensing, and administration of medications for Resident #59, who was admitted with ESRD, type 2 diabetes mellitus with unspecified complications, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and parkinsonism. The resident’s annual MDS showed a BIMS score of 15, indicating intact cognition. Review of the EMAR showed an order for Sevelamer Carbonate (Renvela) 800 mg, 1 tablet by mouth before meals for disorders of phosphorus metabolism, with a start date of 04/17/2026, but the resident did not receive the medication from 04/18/2026 through 04/30/2026. Further review of the May 2026 EMAR showed the same Renvela order with multiple hold periods, and the resident did not receive any doses during that month. Review of the June 2026 EMAR showed the medication remained on hold and had not been administered from 06/01/2026 through the time of review. The dialysis RD stated the resident was on a fluid restriction and was prescribed Sevelamer Carbonate because of elevated phosphorus, that dialysis and the facility communicated through forms and faxed orders, and that the medication had been filled last on 03/27/2026 and 04/20/2026. Staff interviews revealed the facility believed dialysis normally refilled the medication, but the pharmacy said it could fill it if needed. The DON stated she did not know the resident had gone without the medication and confirmed the facility did not have it readily available even though it should have.
Trusted data from CMS and state health departments
Every citation, penalty and Plan of Correction is sourced from public CMS records (latest release July 29, 2026) and official state health department websites — never guesswork.
In your survey window? See what surveyors are citing.
The Survey-Prep Report maps your facility's risk from 12 months of CMS and state citation data — what's being cited around you and what to check first. $129 one-time.