Failure to Secure Medication Carts When Unattended
Penalty
No penalty information released
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
Surveyors observed that medication carts containing residents' treatment supplies and as-needed (PRN) creams were left unlocked and unattended, specifically noting an instance where a treatment cart was out of the nurse's view on hall 600. A licensed nurse confirmed that the cart should have been locked and secured when staff walked away. Additionally, an administrative nurse stated that the facility's expectation was for medication carts to be locked if not within the nurse's view. The facility's own Medication Labeling and Storage policy required all drugs and biologicals to be stored securely and in accordance with state and federal regulations, but this policy was not followed during the observed incidents.