Failure to Label and Store Medications According to Policy
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to properly label and store medications in accordance with professional standards and facility policy for two residents. Specifically, one insulin pen belonging to a resident with diabetes mellitus and a pressure ulcer was found in a medication cart without a label indicating the date it was first opened or when it should be discarded. The resident's records showed they had moderately impaired cognition and received insulin as part of their treatment. The nurse interviewed was unaware of when the insulin was first opened and acknowledged that all medications, including insulin, must be labeled with the opened date, as insulin should be discarded 28 days after opening. Additionally, another medication cart contained two bottles of over-the-counter medications, Naproxen Sodium and Vitamin B1, that were opened but not labeled with the date they were first accessed. Both the nurse and the Director of Nursing confirmed that multi-dose medications must be labeled with the opened date, and that some medications require discarding before the manufacturer’s expiration date once opened. Review of facility policies confirmed the requirement for labeling and timely discarding of multi-dose vials and containers.