Unattended and Unlocked Medication Cart Observed
Penalty
Fine: $79,870
The penalty, as released by CMS, applies to the entire inspection this citation is part of, covering all citations and f-tags issued, not just this specific f-tag. For the complete original report, please refer to the 'Details' section.
Summary
Facility staff failed to ensure the safe and secure storage of medications and biologicals as required by professional standards. During an observation, a surveyor found an unattended and unlocked medication cart on the nursing unit. When questioned, an LPN confirmed the cart was hers and subsequently locked it after being informed of the observation. The facility's own policy requires medication carts to be securely locked at all times when out of the nurse's view. No additional information was provided to the survey team prior to their exit.