Medication Carts Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors observed that two medication carts, located at Station 2 and Station 3, were left unlocked and unattended during an unannounced visit. At Station 2, a resident in a wheelchair was found sitting next to the unattended cart, which had an open Control Drug Record and an open computer displaying a medication administration record. The nurse responsible for the cart admitted to leaving it unlocked and the computer open after assisting a resident in another room. At Station 3, another medication cart was found unlocked with no staff present, and prescription bottles along with a cup containing four unlabeled medications were found in the top drawer. The nurse responsible for this cart also acknowledged forgetting to lock it before leaving the area. Staff interviews confirmed that the facility's policy requires medication carts to be locked and secured when not in use or out of the nurse's view. The Assistant Director of Nursing stated that the expectation is for all medication carts to be locked and acknowledged the potential for unauthorized removal of medications. Facility policies reviewed by surveyors also specified that all compartments containing medications must be locked when not in use. The Director of Nursing was unavailable for interview during the survey.