Failure to Properly Store and Monitor Medications and Vaccines
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure proper storage and labeling of medications and vaccine supplies in one of its medication rooms. During an observation with the DON, an open and undated vial of Tuberculin Skin Testing Solution was found in one of the medication room refrigerators. The packaging indicated the solution had been dispensed from the pharmacy, but there was no indication of when it was opened, as required by the manufacturer's instructions and facility policy. The instructions specified that the solution must be discarded 30 days after opening or by the expiration date, whichever comes first, and must be stored refrigerated and protected from light. Additionally, temperature logs for both refrigerators in the medication room, one used for medications and the other for immunization materials, could not be located at the time of the survey. The facility's policy required daily monitoring of medication refrigerator temperatures and twice-daily monitoring for vaccine storage. When a log was later provided, it was unclear which refrigerator it pertained to, and the logs were not posted on the refrigerator doors as expected. The DON confirmed that both refrigerators were supposed to be monitored and labeled appropriately, but this was not being done at the time of the survey.