Failure to Attempt Non-Pharmacological Pain Interventions Before PRN Opioid Administration
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement non-pharmacological interventions prior to administering pain medication for one of two residents reviewed. According to the facility's policy on administering pain medications, non-pharmacologic interventions such as positioning or warm/cold compresses should be evaluated and their effectiveness documented before administering pain medication. For the resident in question, physician's orders included Roxicodone 5 mg every four hours as needed for pain, which was administered 28 times in July and three times in August. However, review of the clinical record showed no evidence that non-pharmacological interventions were attempted or documented prior to the administration of the as-needed pain medication. This was confirmed by interview with licensed staff, who acknowledged the lack of evidence for such interventions.
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