Expired Lancets Found in Medication Storage Room
Penalty
Summary
Surveyors identified a deficiency related to improper storage and management of medical supplies in the medication storage room serving the 400, 500, and 600 halls. During an observation on 01/13/26 at 12:36 PM, a box of ReliOn Ultra Thin Lancets, which are small single-use needles used to puncture skin for capillary blood sugar checks, was found in a drawer with blood glucose checking equipment, bearing an expiration date of 10/2023. In a subsequent interview at 12:38 PM, an RN confirmed that the ReliOn Ultra Thin Lancets were expired and stated he was unaware of the facility’s policy regarding medical supply expiration dates, though he believed they should be discarded. Later, at 1:37 PM, the DON stated her expectation that staff do not use any expired products and that all expired medications should be disposed of, and further stated that lancets should be thrown away when expired, otherwise they can be used for care. The report states that this deficient practice is likely to result in expired medical equipment being used for resident care leading to potential infection risk, as sterility is lost over time allowing introduction of bacteria.
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