Expired IV Solutions Not Removed from Medication Storage
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that the facility failed to remove expired intravenous (IV) solution bags from medication storage, as required by pharmacy labels and manufacturer expiration dates. During an inspection of the IV cart in the 400-hall, the Director of Nursing (DON) confirmed the presence of twelve expired IV solution bags, including Dextrose, Sodium Chloride, and Lactated Ringers, some of which were past their 'do not use beyond' dates. The DON stated she believed the pharmacy representative was responsible for reviewing and removing expired IV solutions. Facility policy requires that outdated medications be immediately pulled from active inventory and segregated to prevent unintentional use. At the time of the survey, one resident was identified as receiving IV solution.