Medication Storage and Administration Policy Not Followed
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a resident was found with 4% Lidocaine external cream on their bedside table, despite not having a physician's order to self-administer medication. The facility's policies require that self-administration of medications be authorized by the interdisciplinary team and that medications be stored securely, either in the resident's room if safe or in a central medication cart or medication room. The resident, who had intact cognition as indicated by a BIMS score of 13, reported that the Lidocaine cream had been at the bedside since the previous day. Review of the medical record confirmed an order for the cream to be applied as needed for pain, but no order for self-administration was present. Observation and interviews confirmed that the medication was not stored in accordance with facility policy, which mandates that medications not authorized for self-administration be turned over to nursing staff and stored securely. An LPN verified that the resident did not have authorization to self-administer and that the medication should have been locked in the medication cabinet. This failure to follow established medication storage and administration protocols resulted in the facility not meeting professional standards of quality for medication safety.