Medication Cart Left Unlocked and Unattended
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when a medication cart in the 300 hall was observed to be unlocked and unattended. During the observation, the cart was left without direct staff supervision for at least two minutes until an LPN returned from a resident's room. The LPN acknowledged during an interview that the medication cart should not have been left unlocked while she was in the resident's room. Further interviews with the Director of Nursing, a QMA, and other LPNs confirmed that facility policy requires medication carts to be locked at all times when not in direct observation of the responsible staff member. Review of the facility's current policies also indicated that medication storage compartments must be locked when not in use and that staff are expected to comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and facility procedures regarding medication security.