Failure to Obtain Consent Prior to Administering Psychotropic Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain proper consent prior to administering psychotropic medications, including anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety, and anti-depressant drugs, to a resident. Review of the resident's records showed that medications such as quetiapine, escitalopram, and trazodone were administered before signed or verbal consent was obtained from the resident or their responsible parties. Consent forms for these medications were either unsigned or signed after the medications had already been given. Family members and the resident were unaware of having provided consent prior to administration, and facility documentation did not show evidence of verbal consent being obtained. The resident in question had recently returned from a hospital stay and was prescribed escitalopram and trazodone upon discharge, but not quetiapine. Despite this, the facility administered quetiapine without prior consent. The facility's own policy requires that psychotropic medications be initiated only after informed consent is obtained from the resident or their representative. Interviews with staff confirmed that consent should be obtained before administering such medications, regardless of prior hospital use.