Expired Medications Found in Storage and Carts
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to ensure medications and biologicals were not expired in multiple storage locations, including the medication storage room, a medication cart, and a treatment cart. During observations, two bottles of Metamucil with an expiration date of 4/2025 were found in the medication storage room, and a bottle of acid reducer 20mg with an expiration date of 5/2025 was found on a medication cart. Additionally, two vials of insulin (Insulin Aspart and Insulin Glargine) with open dates of 7/17/25 were found on a treatment cart, exceeding the facility's policy to discard multi-dose vials within 28 days of opening. Staff interviews confirmed the expectation that expired medications should be destroyed and replaced, and that insulin vials should be discarded 28 days after opening. The Director of Nursing Services acknowledged the presence of expired medications in the storage room, medication cart, and treatment cart, and confirmed the facility's policy regarding the handling of expired medications and insulin vials.