Failure to Properly Label and Secure Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple failures in the facility's medication management practices. An insulin pen used for a resident was not dated when opened, and the nurse administering the medication was unable to determine how long the pen had been in use. The nurse acknowledged that insulin pens are required to be dated upon opening and that failure to do so could result in the use of expired medication. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the pen should have been dated and that not doing so could lead to ineffective treatment. Additionally, an open vial of Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivative (TB PPD) was found in a refrigerator located in an unlocked office, along with several unopened vials of flu vaccine and TB PPD. The treatment nurse stated that opened vials must be dated and that the current storage location was not secure, as the office was accessible during the day. The Director of Nursing was unaware that these medications were stored outside the medication room and confirmed that they should be kept in a secured medication room refrigerator. Facility policies reviewed by surveyors required dating of opened medications and secure storage, which was not followed in these instances.