Failure to Provide Informed Consent and Education on Opioid Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain informed consent and provide education to a resident or their representative regarding the risks and benefits of opioid medication use. The resident, who had intact cognition and diagnoses including anemia, hemiparesis, and multiple sclerosis, was experiencing persistent pain and was prescribed oxycodone as part of their pain management regimen. Documentation showed that the resident received oxycodone on several occasions, but there was no evidence in the medical record that education about the risks and benefits of the opioid medication was provided to the resident or their representative. Interviews with the resident, nursing staff, the acting DON, and the pharmacist consultant confirmed that no education regarding the risks and benefits of the opioid medication had been conducted prior to administration. The facility's policy on high-risk medications required that residents and/or their representatives be educated on the use and risks/benefits of such medications, including opioids. Despite this policy, the process in place only ensured education for psychotropic medications, not opioids, resulting in the deficiency.