Failure to Obtain Informed Consent for Psychotropic Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident's Responsible Party (RP) was informed and provided consent for the use of psychotropic medications. Despite documentation indicating that the resident did not have the mental capacity to make healthcare decisions, the facility had the resident sign the informed consent forms for quetiapine and escitalopram. The resident received quetiapine for four days and escitalopram throughout their stay without proper informed consent from the RP. Record review and interviews confirmed that the RP was not informed about the use of these medications, nor were the risks and benefits discussed with them. The facility's policy required informed consent for psychotropic medications to be verified prior to use, but this was not followed. The DON acknowledged that the resident lacked capacity and that the RP should have signed the consent forms, while the RP confirmed they were never approached regarding the medications.