Failure to Administer Medication Within Required Timeframe
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with a history of hypertension, osteoarthritis, pain syndrome, retinal edema, and glaucoma did not receive their prescribed metoprolol succinate ER 25 mg within the facility's required timeframe. The medication, ordered to be administered twice daily with meals and held for low systolic blood pressure or pulse, was scheduled for 7:15 a.m. but was not given until 9:00 a.m. on the observed date. Facility policy requires medications to be administered within 60 minutes of the scheduled time, and this late administration was confirmed by both the RN Supervisor and the Director of Nursing. Review of the resident's medication administration history revealed that this medication was administered late on ten occasions within a two-week period. The late administration was observed directly by surveyors and confirmed through interviews and record reviews. The facility's policy on medication administration, which mandates adherence to prescriber orders and a 60-minute window for administration, was not followed in these instances.