Unsecured Medication Left Unattended in Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
A medication storage deficiency occurred when a medication prescribed to a resident was found unattended on the bedside table during an observation. The medication, Dulera Inhalation Aerosol, was labeled with the resident's identifying information and dosage instructions but was not secured in a medication cart or locked storage area as required by facility policy. No staff were present in the room at the time of the observation. The resident involved had a diagnosis of acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia and was cognitively intact, as indicated by a BIMS score of 13. Facility policy required all drugs and biologicals to be stored in a safe, secure, and orderly manner. The DON confirmed that nurses were not supposed to leave medications in residents’ rooms and stated that the resident would not be able to self-administer the inhaler.