F0761

K

Improper Storage and Labeling of OTC Medications in Medication Carts and Central Supply

Lebanon, Pennsylvania Survey Completed on 02-02-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to ensure that drugs and biologicals were properly labeled and securely stored in accordance with facility policy and accepted professional standards. Facility policies required that all medications in carts, medication rooms, or central supply be locked at all times unless in use or under the direct observation of the medication nurse, and that nursing staff check medication labels and expiration dates prior to administration. Policies also required that opened multi-dose containers be dated when opened and that the label of all medications be checked against the physician’s order before removal from the container. Additionally, the facility’s procedure for unavailable medications required staff to obtain OTC medications from central supply when not available in the cart and to notify nurse management if a system-wide issue was identified.

Surveyors found that OTC medications in central supply were stored in closed, factory-labeled bottles on open shelves in a room accessed by a keypad lock. The Central Supply Manager stated that staff had access to the room via a code, but she was not aware of all staff who had the code, and reported that therapists and nurse aides, in addition to nursing staff, had collected materials from central supply after hours. This meant that OTC medications were not stored in locked compartments accessible only to authorized personnel, contrary to the facility’s own policy and accepted standards for medication security.

On six of ten nursing units (1C, 1D, 3C, 3D, 3F, and 4F), surveyors observed OTC medications stored in open plastic cups with handwritten labels inside medication carts, rather than in their original, labeled bottles. On unit 1C, one cart contained seven cups labeled with drug names such as an eye supplement, guaifenesin ER 600 mg, melatonin 5 mg, cetirizine 10 mg, iron, B12 100, and Fiber Con, but the LPN could not determine doses, manufacture dates, expiration dates, or when the original containers had been opened. Another cart on the same unit contained cups labeled with ASA EC, Mucinex, Ibuprofen 200 mg, and a cup labeled Senna 8.6 that contained a mixture of red, pink, and brown pills, some of which the LPN could not identify. Residents on this unit had physician orders that correlated with the medications stored in these cups.

On unit 1D, a medication cart contained seven cups labeled with various supplements and medications, including Oyster Shell D3, Cranberry 450, Vit D 2000 iu, omep 2D, MVI, cetirizine, and vit D3 2000 iu. The LPN on this unit was unable to determine doses, manufacture dates, expiration dates, or when the original containers had been opened, even though residents on the unit had orders corresponding to these medications. On unit 3C, a cart contained cups labeled Vitamin D3 50,000 iu, Docusate, and Vit C 500 mg, and the LPN again could not determine doses, manufacture dates, expiration dates, or when the original containers had been opened, despite residents having corresponding physician orders.

On unit 3D, a medication cart contained cups labeled Senna 8.6 mg, Vitamin D3 50,000, Multivitamin, and Fiber-lax, and the LPN could not determine manufacture dates, expiration dates, or when the original containers had been opened, while residents on the unit had orders matching these medications. On unit 3F, one cart contained cups labeled Vit D 2,000 iu and Tylenol 500, and another cup labeled Iron 325 that contained white and black pills, some of which the LPN could not identify or trace back to an original container. A second cart on 3F contained cups labeled Calcium 600+D 10 mcg and Iron 325, with the LPN again unable to determine manufacture dates, expiration dates, or opening dates of the original containers, even though residents had corresponding orders.

On unit 4F, one medication cart contained 14 cups labeled with various medications and supplements, including Docusate Sodium, Ibuprofen, Oyster Calcium, Iron, Multi vitamins, Cranberry, Mag Ox, Aspirin, ASA 81, Docusate, Multivit, Therems, Fe sulp, and Oyster Cple. Another cart on the same unit contained two unlabeled cups with pills and ten cups with handwritten labels such as Vit B12, Cranberry, Ibuprofen, Iron, Aspirin, Multivit, Oyster Cal, Thera-M, VitD, and Certizine. The LPN on this unit was unable to determine doses, manufacture dates, expiration dates, or when the original containers had been opened, and could not identify the pills in the two unlabeled cups, even though residents on the unit had physician orders that correlated with the medications in these cups. The DON confirmed that OTC medications were improperly stored and labeled in open, hand-labeled cups in the medication carts. The surveyors determined that this failure to properly store and label medications put residents at risk for medication administration errors and resulted in an Immediate Jeopardy situation at F761-K.

Removal Plan

• Discard and destroy all medications observed in medication cups or unlabeled cups, or any medication that is unable to be identified.
• Replace any discarded medication with an unopened, labeled OTC medication bottle.
• Store OTC medications in the original, labeled bottle in the medication carts and administer to residents following medication administration policies.
• Submit OTC medication orders with the Clinical Supply order and purchase needed OTC medications from a local pharmacy if not sent, backordered, or out of stock.
• Change the Central Supply keylock code and provide it only to central supply staff and RN Supervisors.
• Train all licensed and central supply staff regarding storage of medications, proper distribution of OTC medications, and the medication not available procedure.
• Audit all medication carts to ensure no loose or unlabeled medications are stored in any cart.