Failure to Properly Label and Store Medications and Biologicals
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that medications and biologicals in the facility were not properly labeled or stored according to accepted professional standards. During medication administration, an LPN was found with several facility stock bottles, including Thiamine B1, Famotidine, and MiraLAX, that had been opened but were not labeled with the date they were opened. Other stock medication bottles in the medication cart had open dates written on the lids, but these specific bottles did not. The LPN confirmed the lack of labeling and was seen labeling the bottles during the observation. Further inspection of the medication storage room revealed several unopened but expired items, including Fiber Powder Psyllium husk, Vitamin A, B2 Riboflavin, nasal moisturizing spray, and nasal decongestant, all with past expiration dates. The ADON confirmed that these medications were expired. Facility policy requires that expired, contaminated, or deteriorated medications be stored separately until destroyed or returned, but these expired items were not separated as required.