Medication Carts Left Unsecured and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
Licensed staff failed to ensure that medication carts were secured and locked when unattended. Multiple observations revealed that medication carts were left unlocked in various locations, including in front of the main nursing desk, in the dining room, and in hallways, with no staff present. On several occasions, pill packets were visibly hanging out of the carts, and drawers were left open. In one instance, a nurse was away from the cart while administering medications, leaving the cart out of sight and unsecured. During another observation, a staff member accessed the narcotics log book and the controlled substance drawer from an unlocked cart, and then left the cart and drawer open while preparing to administer a controlled medication. The staff member asked the surveyor to watch the open cart and controlled medication drawer while they attended to medication administration, only locking the cart and drawer after being prompted by the surveyor. These actions resulted in medications, including controlled substances, being left unsecured and accessible when staff were not present.