F0755

D

Failure to Dispose of Discharged Residents’ Ozempic as Required

North Vernon, Indiana Survey Completed on 03-24-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency in the facility’s pharmaceutical services when medications belonging to two discharged residents were found stored in the DON’s office refrigerator instead of being disposed of. During an interview and observation, the DON initially stated that refrigerated medications were kept in the Unit C medication room refrigerator and that Ozempic was no longer stored in her office. However, surveyors observed a miniature refrigerator in the DON’s office containing three Ozempic pens: two labeled for one resident and one for another, both of whom the DON confirmed had been discharged. Facility policy on medication storage required routine inspection by the consultant pharmacist for discontinued medications, and the hazardous waste policy required management of all pharmaceutical waste as hazardous in accordance with applicable regulations.

Record review showed that one resident, cognitively intact and diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and anxiety, had Ozempic orders that were discontinued on two separate occasions, with documentation indicating remaining doses at the time of last administration and no documentation of disposal. This resident had a discharge-return not anticipated assessment completed, and the Ozempic order was discontinued on the date of discharge. The second resident, also cognitively intact with diabetes mellitus and anxiety, had an Ozempic order discontinued while still in the facility and later passed away; pharmacy records indicated remaining doses after the last administration. During a subsequent interview, the DON acknowledged that the Ozempic medications for both residents should have been discarded earlier, confirming that the medications were not disposed of after discharge as required by policy and regulatory expectations.