Failure to Discard Expired Medications and Date Opened Ophthalmic Drops on Medication Carts
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s medication storage and labeling practices on two of six medication carts reviewed. On the 200-hall medication cart #1, an opened bottle of Latanoprost 0.005% ophthalmic drops and an opened bottle of Rocklatan ophthalmic drops were found without any opened dates labeled on the bottles, despite manufacturer instructions that each product may be stored at room temperature for only six weeks after opening before being discarded. On the 200-hall medication cart #2, Pyridium (phenazopyridine) 95 mg tablets and a bottle of Dorzolamide 2% ophthalmic drops were found with expiration dates that had already passed. During interviews, the nurse assigned to both medication carts stated that all nurses were responsible for checking the carts for expired medications and for recording opened dates on eye drops, but acknowledged she had not checked expiration dates on either cart and had not administered the expired medications that day. She also stated she did not open the eye drops on medication cart #1 and that the drops should have been dated when opened. The DON confirmed that the assigned nurse is responsible for checking medication carts for expired medications and ensuring medications with shortened expiration dates are labeled with an opened date, and stated that the expired medications should have been discarded and the eye drops labeled with opened dates.
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