Failure to Label Glucometer Strips and Remove Expired Medication
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly label and store medications in accordance with professional standards and facility policy. Specifically, on two separate medication carts (100 and 300 Hall), open containers of glucometer strips were found without open dates, despite manufacturer instructions requiring use within six months of opening. Additionally, an expired albuterol sulfate inhaler was found on the 100 Hall medication cart. The facility's policies require medications to be labeled with expiration dates and for expired medications to be removed, but these procedures were not followed. Interviews with staff, including an LPN and the DON, confirmed that open dates were not being placed on glucometer strip containers and that expired medications were present on the carts. Staff acknowledged that without open dates, it would be unclear when the strips should be discarded, and that expired medications should not be available for use. The DON also noted uncertainty regarding the ownership of the expired inhaler and stated that medications sometimes arrive without proper labeling.