Failure to Obtain Informed Consent for Psychotropic Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain informed consent prior to administering psychotropic medications to a resident diagnosed with unspecified intellectual disabilities and epilepsy. According to the facility's own policy, psychotropic medications should not be prescribed without the informed consent of the resident, guardian, or authorized representative. Despite this, the resident was receiving Risperidone 0.5 mg twice daily and Clobazam 5 mg twice daily without documented consent. The resident's guardian confirmed that she had never verbally given nor signed an informed consent for these medications. Facility staff, including the Administrator in Training and the Regional Nurse Consultant, were unable to produce any documentation of informed consent for the use of psychotropic medications for this resident.