Medications Improperly Stored at Bedside Without Orders or Documentation
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a resident was found to have multiple medications and supplements, including cranberry supplement, probiotic tablets, Refresh Tears eye drops, Replenish eye drops, Ketorolac eye drops, multivitamin capsules, and Tums tablets, stored in bottles on her bedside table. Review of the resident's medical record and Medication Administration Record (MAR) revealed there were no physician's orders or documentation for administration of these medications and supplements. The resident was cognitively intact and required staff assistance with activities of daily living, with diagnoses including polyneuropathy, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and acute respiratory failure with hypoxia. Observation and interview with an LPN confirmed that these medications should not have been at the resident's bedside and should have been locked in the medication cart. The facility's policy required all medications to be stored in locked compartments, medication carts, cabinets, drawers, or refrigerators, and to be housed according to manufacturer recommendations to ensure security and proper storage conditions. The failure to store medications securely and the presence of medications without physician orders or documentation constituted a violation of the facility's medication storage policy.