Failure to Securely Store Medications and Controlled Substances
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure the secure storage of medications and controlled substances. During an inspection of the medication storage room, the refrigerator containing lorazepam, a controlled substance, was found unlocked and unattended, despite facility policy requiring such items to be double-locked and accessible only to authorized personnel. The Director of Staff Development and the Director of Nursing both confirmed that the refrigerator should have been locked when not in active use to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, a medication cart was found unlocked and unattended. Licensed nurses present at the time acknowledged that the cart should have been locked when not attended, in accordance with facility policy. Review of the facility's medication storage policy confirmed that all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, with controlled substances under double lock, and that medication rooms and carts must be locked or attended by authorized staff.