Expired Medication Found in Storage Room
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a bottle of Aspirin 325 mg with an expiration date of 4/2025 was found in the medication storage room during an observation. The presence of this expired medication indicated that procedures for removing outdated drugs from inventory were not followed as required by facility policy. Interviews with staff revealed uncertainty regarding responsibility for checking and removing expired medications from the storage room, with both the RN and DON providing differing accounts of who was tasked with this duty. The DON stated she typically checked for expired medications on Monday mornings, while the weekend night medication aide was also said to be responsible for checking the carts and storage room. Further review of the facility's policy confirmed that outdated medications are to be removed from inventory and disposed of according to established procedures. The ADM acknowledged that expired medications should not be present in the storage room and indicated that nursing leadership was responsible for ensuring compliance. The failure to remove the expired Aspirin from the medication storage room constituted a lapse in the facility's pharmaceutical services and medication management procedures.