Expired IV Start Kit Found in Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
During a recertification survey, facility staff failed to remove expired supplies from a medication cart. Specifically, an IV start kit with an expired date was found in the bottom drawer of Medication Cart #1 on the Prospect Unit. This was observed by a surveyor in the presence of a registered nurse, who confirmed the kit was expired and acknowledged it should not have been in the cart. The nurse immediately removed the expired kit upon discovery. The Director of Nursing (DON) was informed of the finding and confirmed awareness of the expired IV start kit. According to the facility's policy and procedure for storage of medications, no discontinued, outdated, or deteriorated drugs or biologicals should be available for use, and all such items are to be destroyed. The responsibility for checking medication carts for expired items was stated to rest with the nurses and unit managers.