Unattended and Unlocked Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to keep a medication cart locked when it was left unattended in the hallway outside a resident's room. During the surveyor's observation, the medication cart was found unlocked and unattended, allowing access to all drawers and medications inside. The unit manager and an agency LPN were present during the observation, with the LPN questioning whether someone had tampered with the cart, but the surveyor confirmed the lock was not engaged prior to opening the drawers. The facility's medication storage policy requires all drugs and biologicals to be stored in locked compartments, with access limited to authorized personnel, but this protocol was not followed in this instance. No specific residents were directly involved or affected at the time of the deficiency, and no additional medical history or resident condition was noted in the report.