Failure to Secure and Properly Store Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that medications and biologicals were properly secured and stored according to professional standards and facility policy. During an interview with a unit manager, it was observed that approximately 36 bottles of over-the-counter medications and one enema solution were stored openly on a bookshelf in her office, which was not locked when unattended. The unit manager acknowledged that the medications were present when she moved into the office and that the door was not locked when she left, contrary to the requirement that medications be secured at all times. Additionally, a review of a medication cart revealed a cup containing 11 pills in the top drawer, which the current LPN stated had been left by the previous nurse and had remained unsecured since the start of her shift. During a medication pass observation, an LPN left two oral medications and one intravenous medication on a resident's overbed table, out of his sight, while he left the area to don personal protective equipment. The facility's policy requires all medications to be stored in locked compartments accessible only to authorized personnel, and for medications to be secured at all times. These observations and interviews demonstrate that the facility did not consistently follow its own medication storage policy, resulting in unsecured medications in multiple locations and during medication administration.