Failure to Timely Dispose of Discontinued and Discharged Resident Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that medications were disposed of in a timely manner when discontinued or when a resident was discharged. During an observation of the medication storage room, numerous medication cards, pill bottles, and boxes of aerosol medications were found piled on shelves, on the floor, and in baskets and bags. Four unidentified white pills were also found in a plastic cup on a shelf, with staff unable to determine their origin. Interviews with nursing staff and the Director of Nursing confirmed that medications should be returned to the pharmacy within a few days of discontinuation or resident discharge, but this process was not being followed. A review of the Medication Disposition Sheets revealed that a total of 278 medication cards, bottles, and boxes with dispensing dates ranging from over three years prior were present in the medication storage room. Facility policy required nursing staff to maintain medication storage areas in a clean, safe, and sanitary manner and to contact the pharmacy for instructions regarding the return or destruction of discontinued, outdated, or deteriorated medications. However, these procedures were not adhered to, resulting in the accumulation of large quantities of unused medications.