Improper Medication Storage and Expired Drugs Found
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to ensure proper storage and management of medications and biologicals in two medication rooms and one medication cart. In the East Medication Room, the medication refrigerator contained intravenous cefazolin, unopened insulin pens, and an opened multi-use vial of Tuberculin PPD, all of which require refrigeration within specific temperature ranges. However, the refrigerator temperature log had not been checked or recorded since October 2024, a lapse of over six months. Staff confirmed that daily temperature checks and recordings were required but had not been performed. In the West Medication Room, a multi-use vial of Tuberculin PPD was found stored in the freezer instead of the refrigerator and had been open for 56 days, exceeding the 30-day discard requirement. On the East A Medication Cart, two medication cards—benzonatate 100 mg and mirtazapine 7.5 mg—were found to be expired. Staff acknowledged that these medications were expired and should have been discarded. These findings demonstrate failures in medication storage, labeling, and timely disposal of expired drugs.