Medication Cart Security and Medication Labeling Deficiencies
Penalty
Summary
Staff failed to properly secure a medication cart when it was not in use or clearly visible to the personnel administering medication. During medication administration, an LPN left the North Hall medication cart unlocked while giving medication to a resident in a room, and the cart was not in the nurse's clear line of sight. The LPN confirmed that the cart was unlocked and not visible the entire time. The Director of Nursing stated that the expectation is for nurses to lock the cart even when administering medication in a resident's room. Additionally, an open bottle of Latanoprost eye drops was found on the North Hall medication cart without an open date, making it impossible to determine the appropriate discard date. The Unit Manager confirmed the presence of the open bottle and was unsure of the exact expiration period for the medication, indicating a lack of proper labeling and tracking for opened medications.