Failure to Secure Medicated Ointments and Lotions in Locked Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that medicated ointments and lotions were not stored in locked compartments as required by facility policy and professional standards. Specifically, a bottle of Ammonium Lactate Lotion 12% was found on a shelf inside an unlocked supply cabinet accessible to residents, visitors, and unauthorized personnel. The prescription label on the bottle was partially removed, leaving no identifiable resident information or prescription number. Staff interviewed were unable to explain why the lotion was stored in this manner. Additionally, a medication cup containing a clear ointment was found in another unlocked cabinet. The cup had no identifying information, and a CNA admitted to placing it there because she was unable to apply the ointment to a resident at the time, believing the cabinet was a safe place for storage. An LPN confirmed that the ointment was Mometasone Furoate 0.1%, prescribed for a resident with psoriasis. The facility administrator acknowledged that these medicated products should have been stored in locked compartments and not in accessible supply cabinets.