F0761

D

Failure to Date Opened Insulin Pens per Policy

Belvidere, Illinois Survey Completed on 01-07-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s medication storage practices when multiple opened insulin pens on a first-floor medication cart were not dated in accordance with facility policy and professional standards. During a medication storage review, an LPN and the surveyor observed that insulin pens assigned to three residents, including Lantus KwikPens for morning and bedtime administration and a Glargine KwikPen for morning use, as well as a Humalog KwikPen used per sliding scale, had been opened but were not labeled with the date of opening. The LPN acknowledged that all insulin pens were required to be dated when opened and stated that these pens were only good for 28 days, so without dates they did not know when to discard them or whether the insulin was still effective. The DON also confirmed that all insulin pens should be dated upon opening because they are only good for 28 days after opening, and the facility’s written policy on insulin pen usage required pens to be labeled with the date of opening and the expiration date, defined as 28 days after opening.

This failure to date opened insulin pens for these residents constituted noncompliance with the requirement that drugs and biologicals be labeled in accordance with accepted professional principles and facility policy.