Finding Description
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, interview, medical record review, facility document review, and facility P&P review, the facility failed to provide the pharmaceutical services to meet the residents needs.
* The facility failed to ensure the administration of hydrocodone- acetaminophen (an opioid medication used for moderate to severe pain) for Residents 25, 28, and 51a were accurately documented to ensure accurate reconciliation and prevent the medication administration errors. These failures post the risk for loss or diversion of controlled medications.
* The facility failed to ensure the incoming and outgoing licensed nurses assigned were consistently signed the Medication Cart A's controlled medication accountability record. This failure post the risk for loss or diversion of controlled medications.
* The facility failed to ensure the glucometer for Medication Cart A was calibrated on a regular basis. The glucometer calibration logs had multiple missing entries. This posed the risk for inaccurate blood glucose test results and inappropriate treatments.
Findings:
1. On 11/12/21 at 1106 hours, an inspection of Medication Cart B was conducted with LVN 6. LVN 6 stated the process for administering the controlled medications was to remove the medication from the supply, sign it out on the Controlled Medication Count Sheet, and document administration on the MAR; and if administering a pain medication, also document on the Pain Assessment Flowsheet.
a. Medical record review for Resident 25 was initiated on 11/8/21. Resident 25 was readmitted to the facility on [DATE].
Review of Resident 25's Narcotic and Hypnotic Record for hydrocodone- acetaminophen 5-325 mg tablets showed the medication tablets were removed from the supply on 11/1/21 at 0400 hours, 11/3/21 at 0100 hours, and 11/4/21 at 0200 hours.
However, review of Resident 25's Pain Assessment Flow Sheet and MAR for November 2021 failed to show the medications were administered to the resident at the above times when they were removed.
b. Medical record review for Resident 51a was initiated on 11/8/21. Resident 51a was admitted to the facility on [DATE].
Review of Resident 51a's Narcotic and Hypnotic Record for hydrocodone- acetaminophen 5-325 mg tablets showed the medication tablets were removed from the supply on 11/1/21 at 0500 hours, 11/2/21 at 0300 hours, and 11/11/21 at 0800 hours.
However, review of the Pain Assessment Flow Sheet and MAR for November 2021 failed to show the medications were administered to the Resident 51a at the above times when they were removed.
c. Medical record review for Resident 28 was initiated on 11/12/21. Resident 28 was admitted to the facility on [DATE].
Review of Resident 28's Narcotic and Hypnotic Record for hydrocodone-acetaminophen 5-325 mg tablets showed the medication tablets were removed from the supply on 11/3/21 at 0200 hours, and 11/4/21 at 0000 hours. However, review of Resident 28's Pain Assessment Flow Sheet and MAR for November 2021 failed to show the medications were administered to the resident at the above times when they were removed.
LVN 6 verified the above findings and stated the administration record should account for the medications removed from the supply.2. According to the facility's P&P titled Controlled Medication Storage dated 8/1/2010, showed the medication included in the Drug Enforcement Administration classification as controlled substances are subject to special handling, storage, disposal and recordkeeping in the facility in accordance with federal, state and other applicable laws and regulations. The Procedures section showed at each shift change, a physical inventory of all controlled medications including the emergency supply is conducted by two licensed nurses and documented on the controlled medication accountability record.
Review of the Medication Cart C controlled medication accountability record showed the List of Narcotics section with multiple missing licensed nurses' signatures on 11/10/21, for the 7-3 outgoing shift and 3-11 incoming shift.
On 11/12/21 at 1045 hours, an interview and concurrent facility document review was conducted with LVN 8. LVN 8 verified multiple licensed nurses' signatures were missing on the List of Narcotics log. LVN 8 stated the licensed nurses were supposed to sign the List of Narcotics log after counting the controlled medications during the shift changes. When asked what the shift count log was for, LVN 8 stated the incoming and outgoing nurses counted the medications at the end of shift to ensure the controlled medication counts were reconciled.
3. According to the Assure Platinum Blood Glucose Monitoring System Quality Assurance/ Quality Control Reference Manual revised date 10/19, the Assure Dose Control Solution checks if the meter and test strips are working correctly as a system and if you are testing correctly.
Review of Medication Cart A's Quality Control Record Assure Platinum Blood Glucose Monitoring System: Quality Control Record showed the calibration for glucometer (a small, portable machine that's used to measure how much glucose [a type of sugar] is in the blood) with missing entries as follows:
* For 2020:
- 10/1, 10/2, 10/3, 10/4, 10/6, 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/10, 10/11, 10/12, 10/17, 10/18, 10/19, 10/20, 10/21, 10/25, 10/27, 10/30, and 10/31/20.
- 11/1, 11/2, 11/3, 11/7, 11/8, 11/9, 11/10, 11/12, 11/13, 11/14, 11/15, 11/16, 11/17, 11/18, 11/20, 11/21, 11/22, 11/23, 11/24, 11/25, 11/27, 11/28, 11/29, and 11/30/20.
- 12/1, 12/2, 12/4, 12/5, 12/6 12/7, 12/8, 12/18, 12/19, 12/20, 12/21, and 12/28/20
* For 2021:
- 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/7, 1/8, 1/9, 1/10, 1/11, 1/12, 1/13, 1/16, 1/17, 1/18, 1/20, and 1/21/21
- 3/15, 3/17, 3/20, 3/21, 3/26, 3/27, 3/28, 3/29, and 3/31/21
- 4/26/21 and 5/27/21
- 7/16, 7/17, 7/22, and 7/23/21
- 8/11, 8/12, 8/22, 8/23, 8/24, 8/25, 8/26, 8/27, 8/28 and 8/29/21
- 9/2, 9/3, 9/9, 9/10, 9/11, 9/12, 9/15, 9/16, 9/17, 9/18, 9/19, 9/29, and 9/30/21
- 10/14 and 10/15/21
On 11/12/21 at 1031 hours, a concurrent interview and facility document review was conducted with LVN 8. When asked who was responsible for calibrating the glucometer, LVN 8 stated the 11-7 shift nurses were responsible for calibrating the glucometer as well as completing the log daily. LVN 8 verified the missing entries for the months of October to December 2020 and January to October 2021. When asked about the missing entries in the Quality Control Record Form, LVN 8 did not answer. When asked the purpose of calibrating the glucometer, LVN 8 stated it was to ensure the glucometer was functioned well and accurate blood glucose readings.