Expired Antibiotic Ointments Found in Medication Room
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to ensure drugs and biologicals were stored and labeled according to accepted professional standards in the medication room. During an observation with the Director of Nursing (DON), six expired stock antibiotic ointments were discovered, including three bacitracin zinc ointments and three triple antibiotic ointments (bacitracin zinc/neomycin sulfate/polymyxin B sulfate), all past their expiration dates. The expired medications were present in the medication storage room, contrary to facility policy and professional guidelines. The facility's policy requires that all medications be stored according to manufacturer recommendations and that discontinued, outdated, or deteriorated medications be routinely inspected and destroyed as appropriate. However, the presence of these expired ointments indicated that the required inspections and removals had not been adequately performed. The DON confirmed during interview that the expired creams should not have been in circulation and verified their expired status.