Expired Medications Found on Medication Carts Due to Lack of Policy and Oversight
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that two medication carts contained expired medications, including Tylenol 325 mg, Carbidopa/Levodopa 25/100 mg, Diphenhydramine 25 mg, and Gabapentin 600 mg. These expired medications were available for administration to residents. Both a registered nurse and a certified medication aide confirmed the presence of expired medications and acknowledged that night nursing staff were responsible for checking and removing expired medications from the carts. Further interviews with the director of nursing revealed that there was no night shift checklist that included the task of checking for expired medications, and the facility did not have a policy regarding expired medications. The lack of a formal process or policy contributed to the failure to remove expired medications from the medication carts.