How should expired or discontinued medications be handled?

• A. Remove from MAR and supply, return to pharmacy or discard per policy; document the action and reason.
• B. Keep in the med cart for potential future use.
• C. Mark as fill-ready.
• D. Give to a resident who requests it.

Answer: (A)

Expired or discontinued medications should be removed from the medication administration record and from the supply, returned to the pharmacy or disposed of per policy, and the action with the reason documented. This protects patient safety by preventing accidental administration of meds that are expired or no longer authorized, ensures the potency remains reliable, and maintains accurate inventory and accountability.

Keeping them in the med cart for potential future use risks administering outdated drugs and creates stock control problems. Marking them as fill-ready falsely signals they’re ready to dispense, which can lead to mistaken dispensing. Giving them to a resident is unsafe and unethical, as it bypasses proper review and disposal procedures.