Failure to Timely Destroy and Account for Unused Medications
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide pharmaceutical services that ensured the proper storage, destruction, and accountability of medications. During an observation of the medication room, surveyors found the counter space cluttered with a large quantity of unused medications, including medication cards, bottles, bags, and individual doses for 22 residents. Additional medications were found stored in a white bucket above the medication refrigerator. The medications included a variety of prescription drugs such as muscle relaxants, antibiotics, blood pressure medications, and insulin, all of which were no longer in use and awaiting destruction. The facility's policy required unused, contaminated, or expired prescription drugs to be disposed of in accordance with state laws and regulations, and for the destruction process to be witnessed and documented appropriately. Interviews with staff confirmed the ongoing issue. A Certified Medication Tech stated that the medication room was a mess and contained non-narcotic medications that were no longer in use, and that nursing managers were responsible for destroying expired medications. An LPN and the ADON both acknowledged that the medication room was disorganized and full of medications pending destruction, with the ADON noting that it had been several months since the room was clean and orderly. The MDS Coordinator described the room as a disaster that had been in that state for at least a couple of months. The DON admitted that the medication room was currently a mess, with a significant backlog of non-narcotic medications needing destruction, and that the process and paperwork required to address the issue had not been completed due to time constraints. The Interim Administrator also confirmed that the medication room should be kept clean and organized, and that all medications not in use should be destroyed in a timely manner. The facility's failure to maintain a process for the timely destruction of unused medications resulted in a cluttered and disorganized medication room, contrary to facility policy and regulatory requirements.