Failure to Remove Expired and Discontinued Medications and Properly Label Opened Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that drugs and biologicals were properly labeled, stored, and removed when expired or discontinued, as required by policy and professional standards. During observations of three medication carts, surveyors found an expired box of Nutren 2.0 tube feeding formula, an opened Novolog FlexPen injector without an open or expiration date, and an unidentified loose white pill. Additionally, opened bottles of Sorbitol 70% solution and Robitussin DM were found to be expired and had been previously discontinued. Nursing staff confirmed these findings and acknowledged that the required labeling and removal procedures had not been followed. Interviews revealed that nursing staff were either unaware of or did not follow proper procedures for labeling opened medications and disposing of expired or discontinued drugs. The DON stated that all nurses have the authority to dispose of such medications using a Drug Buster, which is available on each cart, and that Unit Managers are responsible for weekly audits to ensure expired medications are removed. However, the presence of expired, discontinued, and improperly labeled medications on multiple carts indicated a failure to consistently implement these procedures.