Improper Medication Preparation Compromises Infection Control
Penalty
No penalty information released
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
The facility failed to maintain an effective infection prevention and control program during the preparation and administration of medications for two residents. Facility policy required staff to avoid touching tablets or capsules unless wearing gloves. During a medication pass, a staff member was observed using an ink pen to poke holes in the back of medication blister packs and then push pills through into medication cups, potentially allowing the pen to come into contact with the pills. The staff member acknowledged using the pen in this manner and was unsure if the pen had touched the medications. Facility leadership confirmed that this practice was not in accordance with policy.