You don't want a surveyor discovering medications in a cabinet that are being kept past their usage date. The lock may be a breakaway plastic lock or a key lock. The standard is a little different for medications needed in an emergency. That way, a supervisor knows if someone has accessed the drugs and can assume that some were taken. Whoever is authorized by the facility's policy to supervise the medications should check the inventory at least once a day.
Some facilities check once per shift.
Rosing says if a facility stores medications in a refrigerator, the facility better make sure that nothing else, such as food, is kept in that same unit. The drugs are placed on the anesthesia cart in the operating room while the anesthesiologist or nurse goes to the holding area to get the patient. Some facilities are concerned that the medications aren't secure because they are not locked or constantly attended. All rights reserved. Disclaimer Please read our Terms of Use .