Failure to Remove Expired Items and Discharged Residents' Medications from Storage
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide adequate pharmaceutical services by not ensuring the removal of expired items and medications belonging to discharged residents from the medication storage area. During an observation of the medication storage room, surveyors found 20 boxes of Fiberone chocolate donuts that were expired by 58 days. Staff confirmed that no resident was receiving the donuts and acknowledged that expired food items should not be present in the medication room. Additionally, two unused insulin pens labeled for a discharged resident and two boxes of breathing treatment medication labeled for another discharged resident were found in the medication storage area, despite both residents having been discharged weeks prior. Interviews with staff revealed that the responsibility for removing expired items and medications of discharged residents was assigned to nursing staff, with the ADON tasked with weekly audits of the medication storage room. However, the ADON admitted to not completing these audits due to other work responsibilities. The facility's policy requires the removal and proper disposal of expired medications and those belonging to discharged residents, but this policy was not followed, as evidenced by the continued presence of these items in the medication storage area.