Finding Description
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review, interview, and facility policy review, the facility failed to ensure the physician documented that the Clinical Pharmacist (CPh) recommendations regarding the use of a PRN (as needed) medications were reviewed and failed to document the action taken or not taken to address the irregularities for one (Resident (R)13) of five residents reviewed from a sample of 43 residents. This failure had the potential to lead to unwarranted medication side effects or improperly treated symptoms.Findings include:Review of the facility policy titled Pharmacy Services Policies and Procedures dated 04/17/24 revealed, The facility will ensure that each resident's entire drug/medication regimen is managed and monitored to promote or maintain the resident's highest practicable mental, physical, psychological wellbeing. The Facility will comply with all Federal, State and Local regulations regarding unnecessary drugs . 6. For non-Urgent recommendations, the Facility and Attending Physician must address the recommendation(s) in a timely manner that meets the needs of the resident. Upon receipt of the written Consultant Pharmacist Report of non-urgent recommendations, the DON or facility designee shall provide the report to the attending physician(s) or their designee during their next regularly schedule facility visit or within 5 business days, whichever should come first . 9. If the Attending Physician or their agent fails to address a recommendation or document a rationale for declining a recommendation: A. The Director of Nursing or facility designee will alert the Medical Director where MRR's [Medication Regimen Review] are not addressed timely or completely by the attending physician. Review of R13's Resident Face Sheet located under the Profile tab of the electronic medical record (EMR) revealed R13 was admitted to the facility on [DATE] with diagnosis including but not limited to anxiety. Review of R13's annual Minimum Data Set (MDS) with an Assessment Reference Date (ARD) of 06/11/25 and located under the MDS tab of the EMR revealed R13 had severe cognitive impairment as assessed by staff. Review of R13's Orders located under the Orders tab of the EMR revealed a Prescription Order dated 06/17/25 for lorazepam (antianxiety medication) 1 milligram (mg) every 6 hours as needed with the End Date on the Prescription Order indicated Open Ended; an order for buspirone (antianxiety medication) 7.5 mg three times a day dated 06/10/22 with an End Date of Open Ended; and Lexapro (escitalopram) (antidepressant medication) 10 mg three tablets once a day dated 12/18/24 (renewal date) and an End Date of Open Ended. Review of R13's Note to Attending Physician/Prescriber signed by the facility's nurse practitioner (NP) on 07/24/25 revealed the CPh had recommended, Resident has a PRN order for an anxiolytic, lorazepam 1 mg Q6H (every 6 hours) which has been in place for greater than the 14-day observation period without a projected stop date or duration of therapy . Please consider discontinuing the PRN order or if the medication cannot be discontinued at this time, CMS requires that the prescriber document the indication for use, the intended duration of therapy and the rationale for the extended time period. On the Note to Attending Physician/Prescriber the NP response read, No longer on board. Review of R13's Note to Attending Physician/Prescriber dated 08/27/24 revealed the CPh had recommended This resident is currently receiving antidepressant therapy with escitalopram 20 mg QD. This dose has been in place for some time, and a review of the resident chart does not reflect a worsening of depression. To reach the minimal effective dose, may I suggest an attempt at a dose reduction? The facility NP responded on 09/16/24 with Resident on hospice. All med [medication] changes made by them.Review of R13's Note to Attending Physician/Prescriber dated 08/27/24 revealed the CPh had recommended This resident is currently receiving antidepressant therapy with buspirone 7.5 mg TID. This dose has been in place for some time, and a review of the resident chart does not reflect a worsening of depression. To reach the minimal effective dose, may I suggest an attempt at a dose reduction? The facility NP responded on 09/10/24 with Resident on hospice. All med changes made by them.Review of R13's Resident Documents in the EMR revealed no other provider communication related to the CPh's recommendations. Review of R13's Progress Notes revealed no other provider communication related to the CPh's recommendations.Review of R13's hardcopy hospice provider notes in the facility hospice binder revealed no notes related to the CPh's recommendations.During an interview on 08/13/25 at 3:15 PM, the Director of Nursing (DON) stated the pharmacy recommendations are emailed to her and then forwards to the facility NP for review. For residents on hospice services, the hospice agency providers managed the medications and so should receive the pharmacy recommendations. During an interview on 08/13/25 at 4:20 PM, the Team Coordinator (TCAH) for the hospice agency stated their agency did not receive pharmacy recommendations from the facility for R13. The TCAH stated normally a facility sends the pharmacy recommendations directly to the agency, then they are sorted and sent to the appropriate provider for consideration.During an interview on 08/13/25 at 4:50 PM, the CPh stated if the resident was under hospice services, the hospice provider was responsible for medication management and should have received the pharmacy recommendations. The CPh stated if the hospice provider does not respond, then it was the facility's responsibility to then communicate the recommendations to the facility providers for consideration.During an interview on 08/14/25 at 5:33 PM, the facility NP stated she did not manage medications for residents on hospice services. She expected the facility staff to forward the recommendation to the hospice provider. During an interview on 08/14/25 at 3:30 PM, the DON stated the lorazepam, escitalopram and buspirone pharmacy recommendations should have been communicated to the hospice provider for consideration.During an interview on 08/14/25 at 3:45 PM, Unit Manager (UM)1 stated the hospice provider should have been contacted either over the phone or on their next visit because once a resident is on hospice services it was the hospice provider that manages the medications. She reviewed R13's EMR and stated there were no notes indicating the facility had communicated the pharmacy recommendations to the hospice agency for consideration after the facility NP responded that she was not managing R13's medications.