Failure to Secure and Properly Store Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed multiple instances where medications and biologicals were not stored securely or labeled appropriately. On several occasions, the medication cart was found unlocked and unattended, with the keys left on top of the cart and no staff present. Additionally, medications were found left in resident rooms, including a bottle of allergy relief nasal spray and a syringe of heparin, despite residents being unable to self-administer their medications. A pill was also found on the floor in a hallway, and a loose tablet was discovered in the bottom drawer of the medication cart during an audit. Staff interviews confirmed that the medication cart should have been locked when unattended and that medications should not have been left in resident rooms or unsecured areas. The Director of Nursing and other staff acknowledged these lapses in medication security and storage. These observations and staff statements demonstrate a failure to follow accepted professional principles for the labeling and secure storage of drugs and biologicals within the facility.