OBJECTIVE
Pharmaceutical services are an integral part of the care required to meet the needs of each nursing home resident. Nursing homes must provide pharmaceutical services (including procedures that assure the accurate acquiring, receiving, dispensing, and administering of all drugs). Nursing homes are also required to: (1) store all drugs in locked compartments; (2) permit only authorized personnel to have access to the keys to secured areas; and (3) provide separately locked, permanently affixed compartments for storage of Schedule II controlled drugs. State survey agencies cited almost half of nursing homes nationwide for pharmaceutical services deficiencies during recent complaint and standard health inspections. If effective systems and procedures to ensure the safe and effective use of medications are not implemented, over 157,000 nursing home residents who receive opioids could be at risk for overuse, misuse, or diversion. We will determine whether selected State agencies ensured that nursing homes: (1) complied with Federal and State pharmacy service requirements to prevent the overuse of opioids by Medicaid and Medicare residents and (2) implemented effective internal controls to prevent the misuse or diversion of opioids.
There is 1 project in this series.
Project titles will remain unpublished until projects are complete and reports are posted.
ACTIVE PROJECTS IN THIS SERIES (1)
TIMELINE
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February 17, 2026Series Number SRS-A-27-001 Assigned
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March 31, 2026Project Announced
Project OAS-26-01-027
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Today1 Audit In-Progress
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Est FY2028Estimated Fiscal Year for Series Completion