Expired and Unlabeled Medications Found on Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified that the facility failed to ensure drugs and biologicals were properly labeled and stored according to professional standards on one of three medication carts reviewed. During observation, several medications were found to be expired, including PRN Hydralazine, Chest Congestion Relief, ondansetron, stimulant laxative, and calcium antacid cards. Additionally, a nasal spray lacked an open date, and eye drops had an open date but were not properly monitored for expiration. These findings were confirmed during interviews with an LPN, who acknowledged that medications should be checked for expiration before administration and that expired medications should be discarded. The Director of Nursing stated that the process for removing expired medications involves the consultant pharmacist auditing the carts and medication rooms, with expired items being sent back to the pharmacy. However, the DON indicated uncertainty about the frequency of these checks, believing it to be monthly and requiring advance scheduling. The facility's own policy requires routine inspection for discontinued, defective, or deteriorated medications, but the observed deficiencies indicate this process was not consistently followed.