Delayed Medication Delivery for C-Diff Treatment
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide timely pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of a resident diagnosed with recurrent Clostridium difficile (C-Diff) infection. The resident was admitted with a physician's order for Fidaxomicin, which the pharmacy reported as unavailable. The physician then ordered Vancomycin HCL capsules to be administered every six hours until Fidaxomicin became available. Despite the order, the Vancomycin was not delivered as scheduled, and by the following day, the medication had still not arrived. As a result, the resident was hospitalized to receive the necessary medication for C-Diff management. Interviews with nursing staff revealed ongoing difficulties in obtaining medications from the pharmacy in a timely manner. Staff reported issues such as delayed deliveries, problems with pharmacy communication regarding faxed orders, and challenges with the pharmacy's computer program, which hindered their ability to access and refill medications. These issues directly contributed to the delay in providing essential medication to the resident.