Failure to Secure and Properly Store Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that medications and biologicals were properly stored and secured, as required by facility policy and regulatory standards. During an observation, medications belonging to a resident with pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and polycythemia vera were found left unattended on the resident's bedside dresser. These included a tube of Muscle Rub (Methyl salicylate/menthol), a bottle of Nystatin, and a bottle of Deep Sea Premium Saline. A registered nurse confirmed that these medications were not properly stored according to policy. Additionally, during a separate observation, three bins containing a total of 333 resident medication cards were left unsecured on a utility cart in a hallway by a pharmacy driver in the process of restocking medication carts. The pharmacy driver confirmed that the bins of medications were left unattended and unsecured. The Director of Nursing also confirmed that the facility failed to properly store medications for a resident and that the pharmacy driver left medications unattended and unsecured during a delivery.