Failure to Label Insulin Flex Pens with Opened and Expiration Dates
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that insulin flex pens used for a resident were properly labeled with the date they were opened and their expiration date. During an observation of the medication treatment cart, it was found that a resident's Lantus insulin flex pen was not labeled with either the opened date or the expiration date. Interviews with a licensed nurse and an administrative nurse confirmed that the nursing staff were responsible for labeling and dating insulin flex pens when opened. The facility's own policy, as well as professional guidelines, require that medications be labeled with the resident's name, medication name, prescribed dose, strength, and expiration date when applicable. The lack of labeling was directly observed and verified by staff.