Section 22-B3227. LABELING AND STORAGE OF MEDICATION

 

3227.1Medication shall be stored in accordance with this section.

 

3227.2Each medication area, including each cabinet or cart shall be well lighted and large enough to permit storage without crowding and shall be clean and orderly.

 

3227.3Proper storage temperature shall be maintained for each medication according to the manufacturer's direction.

 

3227.4Medication that is dispensed by a pharmacy within the facility for use within the facility shall be labeled to identify the generic chemical or brand name, strength, lot number and expiration date.

 

3227.5Each label shall be securely affixed to the outside of each medication container.

 

3227.6Each medication of each resident shall be kept in its original container.

 

3227.7Each medication that requires refrigeration shall be kept in a pharmaceutical refrigerator or in a separate locked compartment within a refrigerator at each nursing station.

 

3227.8Each refrigerator that is used for storage of medications shall operate at a temperature between thirty-six degrees (36 [degrees]) and forty-six degrees (46 [degrees]) Fahrenheit; each refrigerator shall be equipped with a thermometer that is easily readable, accurate and in proper working condition.

 

3227.9Each medication that is labeled poisonous shall be kept separate from other medications in a locked cabinet.

 

3227.10Each medication container that has a soiled, damaged, illegible or otherwise incomplete label on it shall be returned to the pharmacy for relabeling or shall be destroyed.

 

3227.11No employee other than a pharmacist shall package, repackage, return to a container or label in whole or in part any medication, or alter in any way a medication label.

 

3227.12Each expired medication shall be removed from usage.

 

3227.13Each medication that is no longer in use shall be destroyed or returned to the in-house pharmacy.

 

3227.14Destruction of controlled substances shall be witnessed by two (2) licensed nurses and a signed and dated notation shall be made in the resident's medical record.

 

3227.15Each unopened, sealed medication may be returned to the issuing pharmacy.

 

3227.16No medication container shall be reused.

 

3227.17A separate double locked cabinet, permanently affixed compartment box or drawer within a locked cabinet shall provide for the storage of each substance that is controlled by the D.C. Uniform Controlled Substance Act, effective August 5, 1981, D.C. Law 4-29, D.C. Code § 33-501 et seq., and other drugs subject to abuse, except when the facility uses single unit package drug distribution systems in which the quantity stored is minimal and missing doses can be readily detected.

 

3227.18Each facility shall comply with all applicable District and federal laws, regulations, standards, administrative guidelines, and rules that regulate the procurement, handling, storage, administering, and recording of medication.

 

3227.19The facility shall label drugs and biologicals in accordance with currently accepted professional principles, and include the appropriate accessory and cautionary instructions, and their expiration date.

 

authority

The Director of the Department of Health, pursuant to the authority set forth in section 5(a) of the Health-Care and Community Residence Facility, Hospice and Home Care Licensure Act of 1983, effective February 24, 1984, D.C. Law 5-48, D.C. Official Code, sec. 44-504(a)(hereinafter “the Act”), and in accordance with Mayor’s Order 98-137, dated August 20, 1998.

source

Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 49 DCR 473 (January 18, 2002); as corrected by Errata Notice published at 55 DCR 12957 (December 26, 2008).