Failure to Obtain Informed Consent for Psychotropic Medication
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to obtain a written informed consent from a resident or their conservator prior to initiating treatment with Olanzapine, a psychotropic medication. The resident, who was admitted with diagnoses including schizoaffective disorder, epilepsy, and hypertension, had intact cognition and required moderate assistance with activities of daily living. The resident received Olanzapine as prescribed by the attending physician for schizoaffective disorder, and the medication was administered 113 times over a three-month period. During a review of the resident's clinical records, it was found that there was no written informed consent for the use of Olanzapine. The DON confirmed that the facility's policy required the attending physician to obtain informed consent before starting psychotropic medications, and that staff were responsible for verifying and documenting this consent in the resident's medical record. The DON was unable to explain the absence of the consent form and acknowledged that the resident and/or conservator were not given the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding the medication.