Failure to Properly Label and Store Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that drugs and biologicals were not stored in accordance with accepted professional principles in multiple medication carts and storage rooms. Specifically, on the first-floor north medication cart, an RN acknowledged that two inhalers (Trelegy Ellipta and Breo Ellipta) were opened and undated, despite manufacturer instructions requiring disposal six weeks after opening. In the second-floor medication room, an LPN confirmed that three opened bottles of Lorazepam were undated, even though the manufacturer requires discarding the medication 90 days after opening. Additionally, in the first-floor medication room, a bottle of Lorazepam was found to be expired, having been opened and not discarded after the required 90-day period. The RN present acknowledged that the expired medication should have been discarded. The DON stated that her expectation was for Lorazepam to be dated when opened and for expired medication to be discarded, confirming that these procedures were not followed as required.