Expired Medication Not Removed from Active Stock
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to ensure expired medications were removed from active stock in the medication storage room refrigerator. During an observation with an LPN, a bottle of refrigerated liquid omeprazole intended for a resident was found to be labeled with a beyond use date that had already passed. The medication had continued to be administered to the resident after its expiration date, and no other expiration dates were noted on the bottle at the time of observation. The facility's policy requires staff to observe proper storage and labeling requirements for all medications, including the removal of expired medications from active stock. The Assistant Director of Nursing confirmed that nursing staff are expected to check expiration dates before administering medications and that all refrigerated medications are inspected weekly. Despite these expectations, the expired medication remained in use and was not removed in a timely manner, affecting one resident.