Unattended Unlocked Medication Cart Found in Hallway
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a treatment cart containing medications, creams, and medical supplies was found unlocked and unsupervised in the hallway near the nurse's station. The cart was accessible to residents, and no staff were present to monitor it. Upon inspection with the charge nurse on duty, it was confirmed that prescription medications and other supplies were stored in the cart. The charge nurse acknowledged responsibility for the cart and stated she had been trained to keep it locked when unsupervised but was unsure why it was left unlocked at the time of observation. Interviews with facility leadership, including the ADON and ADM, confirmed that the facility's policy requires treatment carts to be locked at all times when unattended. Both leaders stated that staff are trained on this policy through in-services and that random checks are conducted to monitor compliance. Review of the facility's medication storage policy further supported the requirement for all drugs and biologicals to be stored in locked compartments when not in use, and that medication carts should not be left unattended while unlocked.