Failure to Follow Infection Control Practices During Medication Pass
Penalty
Summary
During a medication pass observation on the East unit, an LPN was seen administering oral medications to a resident by removing tablets from supply bottles and handling them directly with bare fingers before placing them in a medicine cup. The LPN had used hand sanitizer prior to starting the medication pass but did not use gloves or another barrier when handling the pills. The medications administered included aspirin, simethicone, omeprazole, and vitamin D. When questioned, the LPN acknowledged that touching pills with bare hands was not a good habit. The unit manager confirmed that nurses were not permitted to touch pills directly during medication administration. The infection preventionist further clarified that pills from bubble packs should be popped directly into the medicine cup, and those from bottles should be poured into the cap and then into the cup, without direct hand contact. Facility policy also specified that staff should use a medicine cup and not their hands when administering medications.