Expired and Improperly Stored Medications Found in Medication Carts and Storage Room
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple deficiencies in the storage and labeling of medications and biologicals within the facility. On several occasions, expired insulin pens and vials were found in medication carts on the second floor, with nursing staff confirming that these expired medications should have been discarded. Additionally, a medication cart on the third floor was found to be unclean, containing dust and sticky residues on supplement bottles and cart handles. Nursing staff acknowledged that the carts should be cleaned daily, indicating a lapse in routine cleaning procedures. Further inspection of the medication storage room on the third floor revealed an opened bottle of liquid pain relief with an expiration date that had already passed. Facility policy requires that outdated, contaminated, or deteriorated medications be immediately removed from stock and disposed of according to established procedures. The observations made by surveyors demonstrated that these policies were not consistently followed, resulting in expired and improperly stored medications remaining accessible in medication storage areas.