Medication Storage and Labeling Deficiencies Identified
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure medications were stored and labeled according to accepted standards of practice. During inspection of two medication carts and one medication room, expired insulin was found stored in a medication cart, and a nurse acknowledged it should have been discarded after 28 days due to potential loss of potency. Additionally, ipratropium/albuterol inhalation vials were stored in an open box, exposing them to light, contrary to manufacturer instructions to keep them protected from light. The nurse responsible for the cart confirmed the box should have been closed to prevent light exposure. In the medication room, a box of ampicillin vials was found inside a drawer without a medication label, stored alongside unrelated items such as a plastic bag and a pen. The nurse present was unaware of the reason for the unlabeled storage. The Assistant Director of Nursing stated that the ampicillin should have been labeled with the resident's name and other required information, and the Director of Nursing confirmed that expired insulin and improperly stored medications should have been discarded. Facility policy and manufacturer guidelines reviewed by surveyors supported these requirements for medication labeling and storage.