Improper Storage and Labeling of Medications and Supplies
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors found that the facility failed to ensure drugs and biologicals were properly stored and labeled according to professional standards. In the medication storage room, a bottle of lorazepam prescribed to a resident was found in an unlocked refrigerator, despite being labeled as opened on 12/01/24 and identified as expired by the Director of Nursing (DON). Additionally, two open bottles of eye drops were found in a larger refrigerator without proper labeling or open dates, with only 'AM' and 'PM' written on the sides. The DON acknowledged that these medications should have been labeled. Further inspection of the medication storage room revealed four opened boxes of intermittent catheters, three of which had expiration dates of 05/31/2020 and one with 07/05/2020. The DON confirmed these supplies were expired and should not have been stored in the cabinet. Interviews with staff, including a Certified Medication Aide (CMA) and an LPN, demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding the identification of expired supplies and the proper storage of medications, including the requirement for locked storage and appropriate labeling.