Improper Medication Storage and Lack of Self-Administration Assessment
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that drugs and biologicals were not stored in accordance with professional standards. In the medication storage room on the [NAME] Unit, a dormitory-style refrigerator with significant ice buildup was being used to store several medications, despite this type of refrigerator being inappropriate due to temperature fluctuations. This failure to use proper storage equipment for medications was directly observed by the surveyor and the Director of Nursing (DON). Additionally, a resident was found to have a bottle of extra strength Tylenol, 500 mg, on their bedside table and reported self-administering the medication as needed. There was no evidence in the resident's medical record of a completed safety assessment by the interdisciplinary team (IDT) or a physician's order permitting self-administration, as required by the facility's policy. An LPN confirmed the absence of both the order and assessment and subsequently removed the medication from the resident's room.