Controlled Medication Left Unattended and Unsecured
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency occurred when a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) failed to keep a controlled medication, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, secured and properly administered to a resident with moderate cognitive impairment and diagnoses including non-Alzheimer's dementia, diabetes, and depression. The LPN removed the medication from a locked storage and left it unattended in the resident's room on the bedside table while stepping out to attend to another task, without observing the resident take the medication as required. Upon returning, the LPN discovered the medication was missing and could not be located after searching the room and trash bins. The Director of Nursing confirmed that the expectation was for the medication to be administered immediately after removal from storage and not left unattended. The facility's policy also required medications to be administered as ordered and not left unsecured. Staff interviews corroborated that the medication was left unattended and subsequently went missing.