Expired Medications and Unsecured Medication Storage
Penalty
Summary
Expired medications were found stored in a medication cart, including Docusate Sodium 100 mg tablets that expired in January 2025 and Guaifenesin 16 fl oz with an expiration date of May 2025. The nurse assigned to the cart confirmed the presence of these expired medications. Facility policy requires that medication rooms, cabinets, and supplies remain locked when not in use or attended by authorized personnel, and that medication carts are kept closed and locked when out of sight of the medication nurse. Multiple instances were observed where medication carts were left unlocked and medications were left unattended. On one occasion, a medication treatment cart was found unlocked, and the DON confirmed it should have been locked. In another instance, an RN left a Senna pill and a medication pack of Benzonatate tablets unattended on a medication cart while walking away to retrieve more medication and to administer medications to a resident. Additionally, a medication treatment cart was observed unlocked with a drawer partially open in a hallway with staff and two self-propelling residents with dementia present. The nurse responsible for the cart confirmed it should have been locked.