Medications Left Unattended on Medication Cart During Administration
Penalty
Summary
Facility staff failed to ensure that medications were stored in a safe and secure manner during medication administration. During observation, a zip-lock bag containing Spiriva (oral inhalation spray) and Fluticasone Propionate (nasal spray), both labeled for a specific resident, was found left unattended on top of the medication cart. The licensed nurse responsible for administering medications confirmed that she left these medications unattended while she went into a resident's room to administer other medications. Upon returning, she put the medications away. A further observation revealed that a bottle of MiraLAX was also left unattended on top of the medication cart while the same nurse went to administer medication to another resident. The nurse confirmed during interview that she left the MiraLAX unattended while she was away from the cart. These actions were not in accordance with the facility's medication storage policy, which requires all drugs and biologicals to be stored in a safe, secure, and orderly manner, and that only authorized personnel have access to medications.