Failure to Assess and Secure Medications for Self-Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to complete a self-administration assessment for a resident before allowing medications to be kept at the bedside. Facility policy requires that the interdisciplinary care team assess each resident for the safety and clinical appropriateness of self-administering medications, including the resident’s ability to identify medications, understand side effects, and store medications securely. Despite this, a resident with diagnoses including schizoaffective disorder, GERD, and chronic pain was found to have a cup containing Excedrin and Gas-X pills in the open drawer of the bedside table. The resident reported that staff provided these medications and allowed them to be stored in the drawer. Further review confirmed that there was no completed assessment for the resident’s ability to self-administer medications, and the medications were not stored in a locked compartment as required. Both an LPN and the DON confirmed that the resident did not have an assessment for self-administration and was not authorized to self-administer medications. The lack of assessment and unsecured storage of medications constituted a failure to follow facility policy and ensure safe medication practices.