Failure to Administer Medications According to Professional Standards
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to administer medications in accordance with professional standards, resulting in significant medication errors for one resident. The errors were identified through observation, record review, and interview. Specifically, the resident's medications were not given as prescribed by the physician, with multiple medications administered outside the required 1-hour time frame. The medications affected included garlic orals, hydralazine HCL, zinc, magnesium oxide, naproxen, and forastor, all of which were given at times significantly later than scheduled. The medication administration audit revealed that these deviations from the prescribed schedule occurred on a specific date, with some medications being administered several hours late. During an interview, the Director of Nursing was unable to provide a response regarding these findings. The report documents that the facility did not ensure residents were free from significant medication errors, as required by professional standards and the five rights of medication administration.