F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
J

Significant Medication Error: Insulin Administered to Non-Diabetic Resident

Autumn Care Of DrexelMorganton, North Carolina Survey Completed on 04-24-2025

Summary

A significant medication error occurred when a nurse administered 30 units of insulin glargine, intended for a diabetic resident, to another resident who did not have a diagnosis of diabetes and no physician's order for insulin. The error took place in the dining room, where two residents were seated together, and the nurse failed to verify the correct identity of the resident prior to administration. The nurse immediately recognized the mistake after administering the insulin and reported it to the appropriate medical staff and the resident's family. The resident who received the insulin in error was severely cognitively impaired and unable to communicate that she was not supposed to receive insulin. She was closely monitored following the incident, with hourly blood sugar checks and intravenous dextrose administered as ordered by the nurse practitioner. During the monitoring period, the resident's blood sugar dropped to 61, prompting further intervention, including administration of orange juice, a snack, and glucagon as ordered by the on-call provider. The resident remained alert and did not display signs of hypoglycemia during the observed period. Interviews with nursing staff, the medical director, and the consulting pharmacist confirmed that administering a high dose of long-acting insulin to a non-diabetic resident could result in hypoglycemic events. The nurse involved stated that she was working on a hall she was not normally assigned to and attributed the error to failing to follow proper medication administration protocols, specifically not verifying the resident's identity and administering medication outside of the resident's room. The director of nursing and administrator both stated their expectation that staff follow the six rights of medication administration, which were not adhered to in this incident.

Removal Plan

  • Nurse #1 was suspended pending investigation.
  • The Director of Nursing contacted the Board of Nursing regarding the medication error.
  • The Provider immediately assessed Resident #16 and gave orders for hourly blood sugar checks, IV dextrose, and monitoring for hypoglycemia.
  • Resident #16's Responsible Party was notified of the medication error.
  • The Director of Nursing and/or Designee reviewed finger stick blood glucose levels of all residents requiring glucose monitoring to ensure no signs of hypoglycemia.
  • The Director of Nursing and/or Designee audited residents with active orders for blood glucose monitoring and insulin to ensure insulin was administered per orders.
  • The Director of Nursing interviewed cognitively intact residents and assessed cognitively impaired residents for signs of hypoglycemia.
  • Education was started for all Licensed Nurses and Medication Aides (including agency staff) on not administering medications in the dining room and to follow the 6 rights of medication administration, including verifying resident identity using the electronic health record picture.
  • Licensed Nurses and Medication Aides not currently working were educated via phone or in person and will not be allowed to work until they have received this education.
  • Any Nurse on leave or paid time off will be provided the education prior to working their next shift.
  • Education will be provided in new hire orientation for all Licensed Nurses and Medication Aides.
  • Agency credentialing/education specialists were contacted and provided the facility-specific plan of correction education packet; agency staff must receive this education before working in the facility.
  • The Director of Nursing educated the Scheduler on ensuring continuity of staff assignments to prevent medication errors.
  • The Director of Nursing and/or Designee will observe 3 medication passes for Licensed Nurses and/or Medication Aides weekly for 8 weeks, then monthly for 1 month, to ensure medications are administered as ordered.
  • The Director of Nursing and/or Designee will observe 5 residents in the Dining Room weekly for 8 weeks, then monthly for 1 month, to ensure no medications are being passed in the dining room.
  • An ADHOC QAPI meeting was held to discuss the incident and educate the team on interventions.
  • The Medical Director was notified of the medication error and interventions.
  • The Interdisciplinary team will review and provide recommendations on audit results during QAPI meetings for the next 3 months to ensure sustained compliance.
  • If noncompliance is identified, immediate correction, re-education, and an ADHOC QAPI meeting will be held to address and adjust the plan.
  • The Administrator and Director of Nursing will ensure the corrective action plan is implemented.

Penalty

Fine: $17,345
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The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

Resources

Below are regulatory guidelines relevant to this citation:

See other F0760 citations
Significant Medication Error and Systemic Failures in Resident Identification
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F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A significant medication error occurred when an agency RN, unfamiliar with residents and lacking clear identification procedures, administered morphine sulfate and levothyroxine ordered for one severely cognitively impaired resident to that resident’s cognitively impaired roommate, after calling out the wrong name and failing to verify identity via the electronic health record photo or another reliable method. The resident who received the wrong medications developed profound bradycardia and hypotension, was transferred to the ED with accidental opioid poisoning, and required naloxone to stabilize vital signs before returning to the facility. Surveyors also found that multiple residents lacked identification photos in the EHR despite facility policy, and staff reported relying on familiarity, resident self-identification, or room nameplates instead of a consistent, reliable process, creating a systemic breakdown in resident identification during medication administration.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Medications Left Unattended at Bedside and Not Administered as Prescribed
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A cognitively intact resident with end stage renal disease, GI hemorrhage, and anemia had ordered medications including Velphoro, sucralfate, and midodrine, but surveyors observed four medication cups containing these drugs left unattended on the bedside table while the assigned medication aide was at the cart and unable to see the resident. The aide confirmed the medications belonged to the resident, stated they must have been left from a prior shift, and acknowledged she had not yet given that morning’s doses and that staff are expected to observe residents swallowing medications. A nurse from the previous shift also denied intentionally leaving medications at the bedside but agreed this practice was inappropriate. The resident reported that nurses often left medications at the bedside without always informing him he was expected to take them. The physician stated that failure to receive these medications as ordered had the potential for significant adverse effects, and both the unit manager and DON stated that medications were not to be left at the bedside and that residents must be assessed before any self-administration is allowed.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Properly Administer Ordered Crushed Medication
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression had physician orders for 40 mg of Ingreeza daily for drug-induced subacute dyskinesia and for all medications to be crushed, consistent with the care plan directing pills to be finely crushed. During a medication pass, an LPN prepared the Ingreeza capsule softened in pudding and administered it without opening the capsule and sprinkling the contents, thereby not crushing the medication as ordered. In interviews, the LPN and facility leadership confirmed that the medication was not administered according to the physician order and that this constituted a significant medication error.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Significant Medication Error From Misidentification During Med Pass
G
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with CHF and paroxysmal AFib was mistakenly given a roommate’s medications when an LPN entered a shared room, called out the roommate’s name, and administered the prepared medications to the other bed after that resident responded. The facility’s policy required licensed staff to verify resident identity using identifiers such as ID bands, photos, or staff confirmation, but this verification was not performed. As a result, the resident received multiple unintended drugs, including aspirin, Xcopri, Aptiom, levetiracetam, lorazepam, morphine, acetaminophen, carbidopa-levodopa, and gabapentin. The resident initially appeared stable but then developed lethargy and hypotension, leading to Narcan administration, EMS activation, and hospital transfer, where records confirmed accidental ingestion of the roommate’s medications with resultant lethargy and hypotension.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Ensure Timely and Complete Medication Administration for Two Residents
D
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

Two residents experienced repeated medication errors when nurses failed to administer multiple ordered medications within the facility’s required time window and, in some cases, did not administer them at all. One resident with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and respiratory issues repeatedly received late doses of Gabapentin, Advair, and Albuterol, and reported severe leg pain when Gabapentin was delayed. Another resident with COPD, heart failure, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis did not receive a scheduled lidocaine pain patch and had missing doses of Jardiance and Gabapentin during a late morning med pass, while still receiving other oral medications and an inhaler. Nursing staff and the DON acknowledged that medications are expected to be given within one hour before or after the ordered time and that late or omitted doses are not in accordance with physician orders, despite a facility policy requiring safe, timely administration and adherence to the five rights of medication administration.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Failure to Transcribe and Administer Ordered Antibiotics and Wrong IV Medication Administration
G
F0760 F760: Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Short Summary

A resident with a history of lumbar discitis/osteomyelitis and chronic myeloid leukemia had IV daptomycin discontinued after imaging showed improvement, and an ID physician faxed new orders for PO levofloxacin and PO vancomycin. Although the fax was confirmed as received and scanned, nursing did not transcribe these antibiotics into the EMR or MAR, and they were not administered for approximately two months, even as the resident reported to the ID physician via telehealth that she was tolerating levofloxacin, believing she was taking it. The oral antibiotic orders did not appear in the physician order listing until after the resident was hospitalized again for fever and pain, when imaging showed recurrent discitis/osteomyelitis and the hospital continued or resumed levofloxacin and PO vancomycin. In a separate incident, an LPN administered another resident’s IV ertapenem instead of the ordered IV daptomycin to this resident after taking the wrong medication from the refrigerator, contrary to facility policies requiring medications to be administered according to physician orders and pending orders to be checked and confirmed after physician visits.

No penalty information released
tooltip icon
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.

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