F0761

E

Unsecured Medication and Treatment Carts on 300 Unit

Albuquerque, New Mexico Survey Completed on 03-20-2026

Penalty

No penalty information released

Summary

Surveyors identified a deficiency related to the facility’s failure to properly secure medication and treatment carts on the 300 unit. On 03/17/26 at 2:39 PM, the wound care treatment cart was observed unlocked and open, containing wound care supplies, tweezers, topical creams, and scissors, with no nursing staff present in the area. Later that same day at 3:10 PM, the medication cart on the 300 unit was also observed unlocked and open, containing multiple medications including Buspirone, Glipizide, Mirtazapine, Venlafaxine, Carbamazepine, Gabapentin, Colace, eye drops, and lancets, again with no nursing staff present nearby.

During an interview on 03/17/26, an LPN acknowledged that she was responsible for both the treatment and medication carts and confirmed they were unlocked and open. She stated that the carts should be locked when not in use and that medication carts should never be left open because a resident could ingest medications not prescribed to them, resulting in illness. On 03/18/26, the DON stated that staff should never leave a medication or treatment cart unlocked and unattended, and that her expectation is that all such carts are locked when not in use. She further stated that if a medication or treatment cart were left unlocked, residents could access the contents and sustain injury.