Expired First Aid Kit and Unattended Unlocked Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper storage and timely removal of expired drugs and biologicals, as evidenced by the presence of an expired first aid kit in the medication storage room. During an inspection, a registered nurse confirmed that the first aid kit had expired and acknowledged that licensed staff are required to immediately remove expired items from the medication storage area. The Director of Nursing also confirmed that nurses are expected to inspect the medication storage room every shift and remove expired medications and supplies, but an expired kit was still present during the survey. Additionally, a medication cart was observed left unlocked and unattended in a hallway, with staff walking by the unsecured cart. The licensed vocational nurse responsible for the cart admitted to leaving it unlocked while retrieving a binder, despite facility policy requiring medication carts to be locked when unattended. The Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed that medication carts should always be locked when not attended by authorized personnel. Facility policy states that medications and biologicals must be stored securely and only accessible to authorized staff.