Expired Asthma Inhaler Not Removed from Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when an expired fluticasone/salmeterol inhaler, prescribed for a resident with asthma, was found in the facility's middle medication cart. The inhaler had been opened and labeled with an open date, but was not removed from the cart after the one-month period recommended by the manufacturer. During an observation and interview, the LVN acknowledged that the inhaler had expired and should have been removed, but was unaware of the specific expiration timeframe after opening. The resident involved had a history of asthma and was admitted to the facility with this diagnosis. The facility's policy required medications to be stored according to manufacturer recommendations and for expired medications to be routinely identified and destroyed. However, the expired inhaler remained accessible in the medication cart, contrary to both manufacturer guidelines and facility policy.