Failure to Discard Outdated Medications and Biologicals
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to appropriately discard outdated medications and biologicals as required by policy and manufacturer guidelines. During a review of the Avonia Springs medication room, an open vial of Tubersol with an open date of 4/4/25 was found, despite manufacturer instructions to discard within 30 days of opening. Additionally, the medication cart contained an open bottle of heartburn relief with an expiration date of 4/2023, an open bottle of senna plus with an expiration date of 9/2024, and an open bottle of docusate sodium with an expiration date of 1/2024. These findings were confirmed by a Registered Nurse at the time of observation, who acknowledged that the identified medications and biologicals were beyond their expiration or recommended use dates and should have been discarded. The facility's own policy requires that outdated, contaminated, or deteriorated medications be immediately removed from stock and disposed of according to procedures, which was not followed in these instances.