Each facility shall establish and implement the following policies and procedures for medication control:

1. (1) A requirement that each resident's prescribing physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner provide to the facility electronic or written signed orders for:

   1. (a) Any medications taken by the resident;
   2. (b) Authorization for medications kept on the resident or in the room of the resident; and
   3. (c) Release of medications;

2. (2) Provisions for proper storage of prescribed medications so that the medications are inaccessible to residents and visitors with requirements for:

   1. (a) Separate storage of poisons, topical medications, and oral medications;
   2. (b) Each resident's medication to be stored in the container in which it was originally received and not transferred to another container; and
   3. (c) A medication prescribed for one resident that is not to be administered to any other resident;

3. (3) The self-administration of medications must be accomplished with the supervision of a designated employee of the facility. The requirement must contain:

   1. (a) A description of the responsibility of the resident, the resident's family members and the facility personnel; and
   2. (b) The provision of written educational material explaining to the resident and the resident's family the resident's rights and responsibilities associated with self-administration; and

4. (4) Provision for proper disposition of medications due to:

   1. (a) Resident discharge or death;
   2. (b) Outdated medication; or

   3. (c) The prescription is being discontinued by the physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.

      The facility shall establish written policies and procedures for the manner of issuance, proper storage, control, accountability, and administration of medications or drugs in accordance with pharmaceutical and nursing practices as well as professional standards.

      The facility and the facility's pharmacist shall establish a system of records of receipt and disposition for all controlled drugs in sufficient detail to enable an accurate reconciliation. The facility and pharmacist shall ensure the drug records are in order and that an account of all controlled drugs is maintained and periodically reconciled. The facility and pharmacist shall have policies and procedures for the periodic reconciliation of all controlled substances. The policies and procedures must minimize the time between the actual loss or diversion and the time of detection and follow-up to determine the extent of the loss.

      If a loss or diversion of controlled substances is identified, the facility and pharmacist shall evaluate the residents potentially affected, consistent with the resident's comprehensive assessment and plan of care. If policies and procedures have not been effective in preventing the loss or diversion of controlled substances, the facility and pharmacist must review and revise related controls and procedures as necessary.

Source: SL 1975, ch 16, § 1; 6 SDR 93, effective July 1, 1980; 14 SDR 81, effective December 10, 1987; 22 SDR 70, effective November 19, 1995; 24 SDR 90, effective January 4, 1998; 28 SDR 83, effective December 16, 2001; 29 SDR 81, effective December 11, 2002; transferred from § 44:04:08:02 , 42 SDR 51, effective October 13, 2015 ; 51 SDR 53, effective November 11, 2024 .

General Authority: SDCL 34-12-13 .

Law Implemented: SDCL 34-12-13 .

Prior versions effective: 2015-10-13.