LAC 48:I.9857. Storage and Preparation

A. All drugs and biologicals shall be stored in a locked area/cabinet and kept at proper temperatures and lighting. The medicine room or medication preparation area shall have an operable sink with hot and cold water, paper towels and a soap dispenser. 1. In nursing facilities with drugs and biologicals stored in a locked area/cabinet in the resident’s room, the lavatory located in the room or immediately adjacent shall be deemed acceptable under this provision. B. Access to drug storage areas shall be limited to licensed nursing personnel, the licensed nursing facility administrator and the consultant pharmacist as authorized in the nursing facility's policy and procedure manual. Any unlicensed, unauthorized individual (e.g., housekeepers, maintenance personnel, etc.) needing access to drug storage areas shall be under the direct visual supervision of licensed authorized personnel. 1. In nursing facilities with drugs and biologicals stored in a locked area/cabinet in the resident(s) room, residents who have been determined by the interdisciplinary team to be able to safely self-administer drugs shall be allowed to access the drugs. C. Medication requiring refrigeration shall be kept separate from foods in separate containers within a refrigerator and stored at a temperature range of 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. 1. Laboratory solutions or materials awaiting laboratory pickup shall not be stored in refrigerators with food and/or medication. 2. Medication for “external use only” shall be stored separate from other medication and food. D. Separately locked, permanently affixed compartments shall be provided for storage of controlled drugs listed in schedule II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1976 and other drugs subject to abuse. E. Medications of each resident shall be kept and stored in their originally received containers and transferring between containers is forbidden.