Failure to Provide Timely IV Antibiotic Due to Pharmacy Delay
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide a resident with an intravenous (IV) antibiotic in a timely manner as ordered by the physician. The resident, who had diagnoses including osteomyelitis of the left ankle/foot and dementia, was prescribed IV ampicillin-sulbactam every six hours for a wound infection. According to the Medication Administration Record (MAR), the first three doses were administered as ordered, but subsequent doses were missed because the medication was not available. Documentation showed that the antibiotic was not present in the Emergency Drug Kit (EDK), and the pharmacy was notified multiple times regarding the need for delivery. Despite repeated notifications to the pharmacy, the antibiotic was not delivered in time to prevent missed doses on several occasions. Progress notes indicated ongoing communication with the pharmacy and continued unavailability of the medication, resulting in the resident not receiving the prescribed antibiotic at the scheduled times. The facility's pharmacy delivery policy stated that medications and supplies would be delivered daily, but this was not adhered to in this instance, leading to the deficiency.