Expired Medications Found in Active Storage Areas
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to remove expired medications from active medication storage areas, including one medication storage room and one of two medication carts. During an observation, several expired medications were identified, such as magnesium oxide, vitamin D, milk of magnesia, Geri Lanta, iron tablets, docusate sodium liquid, aspirin, and folic acid, with expiration dates ranging from the previous month to the current month. These expired medications were accessible in both the storage room and a medication cart, despite the facility's policy requiring the removal and proper disposal of outdated or deteriorated medications. Interviews with facility staff revealed that the Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) had recently checked the storage room and believed all expired medications had been removed, expressing surprise at the survey findings. The Director of Nursing (DON) stated that a pharmacy consultant conducts monthly audits of medication carts and that expired medications are supposed to be removed during these audits. The supply clerk is responsible for auditing and stocking the medication supply room, while nurses and managers are tasked with discarding expired medications. Despite these procedures, expired medications remained in active storage areas at the time of the survey.