Failure to Evaluate Ongoing Use of Laxative Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to evaluate the ongoing use of a laxative medication, polyethylene glycol, for a resident diagnosed with dementia with behavioral disturbance, hypertension, and major depressive disorder. The resident had a physician's order for daily administration of polyethylene glycol for constipation, with no stop date indicated. Review of the resident's electronic medication administration record showed the medication was administered daily, except for one refusal, and there was no documentation that the prescriber had reassessed the need for continued use of the medication. Facility policy requires the attending physician to regularly review each resident's medication regimen, including dose, duration, indication, monitoring, and adverse consequences. However, there was no evidence in the resident's health record that the continued use of polyethylene glycol had been evaluated by the prescriber, despite drug manufacturer guidance that it should not be used for more than seven days without reassessment. The unit manager confirmed the lack of documentation regarding evaluation of the medication's ongoing use.