Expired Insulin Pens Not Removed from Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper storage and timely removal of expired insulin pens from a nurse medication cart. During an observation, two insulin pens with opened dates of 03/07/25 were found in the cart, despite facility policy and stickers indicating they should be discarded 28 days after opening, which would have been 04/04/25. Interviews with nursing staff, including the LVN responsible for the cart, the ADON, the DON, and the ADM, confirmed that the policy required insulin pens to be dated upon opening and discarded after 28 days. The staff acknowledged that it was the nurse's responsibility to check and remove expired medications from the cart, but the expired pens remained in use past the discard date. A review of the facility's medication storage policy and insulin sticker instructions further confirmed the requirement to remove expired, discontinued, or contaminated medications from storage areas. The failure to remove the expired insulin pens was directly observed and acknowledged by staff, with the facility's own documentation supporting the need for timely disposal. No information was provided regarding the specific residents affected or their medical conditions at the time of the deficiency.