Medication Cart Found Unsecured, Allowing Access to Prescription Drugs
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when Medication Cart #3, which was stored at the nurse's station, was found to have an unsecured drawer despite the lock being in the secured position. During an observation, it was discovered that drawer #2 of the cart could be opened while the other drawers remained locked. The unsecured drawer contained prescription medication cards for residents of the 200 Hall, including blood pressure medications, anti-viral medications, sleep medications, potassium pills, thyroid medications, diabetic medications, cardiac medications, and anti-nausea medications. RN A confirmed that the cart should always be secured when not in use to prevent unauthorized access. Further interviews revealed that the expectation was for medication carts to be locked when not attended by authorized staff. The DON stated that the risk of an unsecured cart was that residents could access medications not prescribed to them. The facility's policy required that medication carts and supplies be locked when not attended by authorized personnel. The deficiency was identified through observations, record reviews, and staff interviews, which confirmed that the cart was not properly secured as required.