Deficient Medication Storage, Labeling, and Expired Drug Removal
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified multiple deficiencies related to the storage and labeling of medications and biologicals. On one medication cart, there were expired medications, including a bottle of calcium carbonate with an expiration date that had passed, and a bubble-pack card of nitroglycerin tablets without resident identification. Additionally, an unopened bottle of latanoprost eye drops, which should have been refrigerated according to manufacturer instructions, was found stored on the cart instead. Loose and unidentified pills of various shapes, sizes, and markings were also found in the drawers of two medication carts, with staff confirming that these should have been properly labeled with resident information. In the medication room, expired doses of meropenem, an antibiotic, were found stored in the refrigerator, with pharmacy labels indicating expiration dates that had already passed. Staff interviews confirmed that these expired medications should have been returned to the pharmacy. Throughout the observations, staff acknowledged that medications were not labeled or stored according to professional standards and manufacturer instructions, and that expired or unidentified medications were not properly discarded.