Failure to Secure and Timely Dispose of Medications
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to store medications securely and did not dispose of expired medications in a timely manner. Observations included a nurse treatment cart containing an expired bottle of aspirin and an undated insulin pen, as well as a medication cart with an expired bottle of biotin. Additionally, the medication room contained expired stock medications, including magnesium chloride and multiple bottles of folic acid. These expired medications were confirmed by licensed staff and had not been removed or disposed of as required by facility policy. Further, a nurse treatment cart on one hall was found unlocked and unattended, with warfarin, insulin pens, and other medications accessible for at least two minutes without licensed staff present. Staff interviews confirmed that medication carts should be locked when not in use and that expired medications should be removed and disposed of according to policy. The facility's own policy requires that discontinued or outdated drugs be destroyed or returned to the pharmacy and that all medication storage areas be locked when not in use.