Failure to Properly Label and Remove Expired Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that drugs and biologicals in the facility were not consistently labeled in accordance with accepted professional principles. Specifically, in two medication rooms and one medication cart, insulin vials and pens, as well as eye drop solutions, were found either expired or not dated when opened. Facility policy requires that multi-dose medications be dated when opened and that expired or contaminated medications be removed and disposed of properly. However, surveyors found multiple instances where insulin and eye drops were open and in use without being dated, and some insulin was found to be expired but still stored in the medication rooms and cart. During the observations, surveyors identified specific medications, such as Lispro insulin, Novolin 70/30 insulin, Lantus insulin pens, Brimonidine eye drops, and Prednisolone eye drops, that were either expired or lacked an opening date. An LPN confirmed that all these medications should have been dated when opened and discarded once expired. The facility was notified of these concerns during the exit meeting, and no additional information was provided.