Failure to Label and Date Injectable Medications
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to ensure proper labeling and dating of injectable medications for two residents who were prescribed injectable medications and resided on the 100-hall. During an inspection of the medication storage cart with an LPN, a Lantus SoloStar Pen containing insulin glargine was found with approximately 60 units remaining, but it was not labeled with the date it was opened or its expiration date. The LPN confirmed at the time of observation that the pen was missing these required labels. According to the medication supplier guidelines, Lantus insulin pens expire 28 days after first use or removal from refrigeration. Additionally, two Ozempic (semaglutide) pens were found in the same medication cart, both lacking labels indicating the resident's name, the date opened, or the expiration date, despite being labeled by the manufacturer for single patient use only. The LPN confirmed that neither pen was labeled appropriately. Facility policy and supplier guidelines require that medications with shortened expiration dates, such as these injectables, be labeled with the date opened and the new expiration date to ensure medication purity and potency. The failure to follow these procedures resulted in the cited deficiency.