Medication Cart Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
A medication cart located on the East Wing Unit, specifically the Middle Cart positioned to the left of the East Wing Nursing Station, was observed to be left unlocked and unattended during a facility tour. The cart contained multiple medications, including oral medications in blister packs, PRN medications, topical treatments, and controlled substances. There were no licensed nurses or other authorized staff present in the hallway at the time, and the cart remained unattended for approximately 15 minutes before staff returned. The facility's Medication Storage Policy requires that all drugs and biologicals be stored in locked compartments, with access limited to authorized personnel. During the observation, both the Assistant Director of Nursing and the Unit Manager confirmed that the cart was unlocked and unattended. The DON also acknowledged that this was a deficient practice, as the expectation is for medication carts to remain locked at all times when not in the direct possession of a licensed nurse.