Medication Not Secured in Locked Storage
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a prescription medication, Latanoprost 0.005% eye drops, was found unsecured on a resident's bedside table. The medication was intended to be administered at bedtime as per a physician's order. The resident, who had diagnoses including cellulitis of the right lower limb, type 2 diabetes mellitus with hyperglycemia, and difficulty walking, reported that the nurse had left the medication at the bedside the previous night. This was confirmed by an LPN the following morning, who acknowledged the medication should have been stored in the medication cart due to its specific administration schedule and safety concerns. Further, the Director of Nursing confirmed that facility policy requires all medications to be secured in locked compartments and not left at the bedside. The facility's policy, revised recently, mandates that all drugs and biologicals be stored in locked compartments under proper conditions. The failure to secure the medication as required by policy and regulation led to the deficiency identified during the survey.