Failure to Properly Label and Dispose of Discontinued Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to properly label and dispose of discontinued medications according to its own policies and procedures. During an observation in the medication storage room, an unlocked cabinet was found containing 24 opened and unlabeled medications in a plastic cup, with no pharmaceutical waste bin nearby. Licensed staff confirmed that discontinued medications should be labeled and disposed of in designated pharmaceutical waste bins, and that documentation with two witnesses is required when medications are disposed of. However, staff were unable to identify the medications present in the discontinued medication cabinet, and the medications were not documented in the Medication Disposition Record Log. Interviews with the Director of Staff Development and the Director of Nursing confirmed that all medications should be labeled, documented, and stored securely until proper disposal. Facility policy requires that drugs and biologicals be stored in locked compartments, that improperly labeled medications be returned to the pharmacy, and that discontinued medications be documented and disposed of with appropriate witness signatures. The observed practice of storing unlabeled, discontinued medications in an unlocked cabinet and failing to document their disposition was not in compliance with these policies.