Insulin Vials Missing Open/Expiration Dates on Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to ensure insulin medications were properly labeled with open and/or expiration dates on one of three medication carts observed. Specifically, insulin vials for three residents with diabetes mellitus—prescribed Novolin, Humalog, and lispro insulin—were found without written open or expiration dates during a medication cart observation. The absence of these dates was confirmed during an interview with a registered nurse, who acknowledged that insulin medications should have open dates. The facility's own medication storage policy, provided by the Executive Director, requires that medications have expiration dates on their labels. Despite this policy, the insulin vials for the affected residents did not comply with labeling requirements at the time of the survey. The deficiency was based on direct observation, record review, and staff interview, and involved residents with active physician orders for insulin administration due to their diabetes diagnoses.