Unattended and Unlocked Medication Cart
Penalty
Summary
A medication cart located outside the dining room on the [NAME] Hall was observed to be unlocked and unattended for approximately 30 minutes. During this period, thirteen staff members and eleven residents passed by the cart, and one resident touched items on top of it. The responsible LPN confirmed she had left the cart unattended and acknowledged that it should have been locked to prevent unauthorized access. Additional interviews with another LPN, the director of nursing, and the administrator confirmed that facility policy and standard practice require medication carts to be locked when unattended. The facility's Medication Labeling and Storage policy also specifies that medications and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments accessible only to authorized personnel.