Failure to Provide Timely Medication and Notify Physician
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident with severe cognitive impairment and multiple diagnoses, including hypertension, non-Alzheimer's dementia, and malnutrition, did not receive prescribed Cyproheptadine 4 mg three times daily for itching. According to the electronic medication administration record, the medication was not available and was not administered for several consecutive days for both morning and afternoon doses. The clinical record did not contain documentation that the physician was notified about the unavailability of the medication. During an interview, an LPN described the process for handling unavailable medications, which includes contacting the pharmacy, checking the emergency drug kit, documenting the situation in the EMAR, and notifying the physician. However, in this instance, the required physician notification was not documented, and the facility's policies on pharmacy services and following physician orders were not followed.