F0761

F

Improper Medication Storage, Expired Supplies, and Unsecured Carts

Albuquerque, New Mexico Survey Completed on 01-08-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s storage and handling of medications and medical supplies. On multiple occasions, loose unidentified pills were observed in and on medication carts, including several tablets and capsules found in a cart drawer and another pill found on top of a sharps container. Staff interviews confirmed that these loose medications should have been disposed of per facility policy and that medication carts are expected to be free of loose pills. Surveyors also observed treatment and medication carts left unlocked and unattended in resident hallways, and staff acknowledged that carts are required to be locked when not in use but were not locked at those times.

Additional observations showed expired and inappropriate items stored on treatment carts and in the medication room. A ceftriaxone vial labeled for a resident who had been discharged the previous month remained on the treatment cart, along with an expired Aquacel dressing and an unwrapped syringe in a drawer; staff confirmed the resident’s discharge date and that these items should have been removed or discarded. In the locked medication room, the medication refrigerator door was found open with an internal temperature reading of 52.4 degrees Celsius, and expired culture swab kits and syringes were present. Staff confirmed the refrigerator had been left open and that the culture swab and syringe were expired. These findings were noted as having the potential to affect all 109 residents in the facility.