Laurels of West Columbus: Medication Unavailable - OH
Resident #81 requested Lomotil tablets from nurses on consecutive nights in late August, but the medication wasn't available in the facility's supply. The 79-bed Laurels of West Columbus had no policy governing when medications should arrive from their pharmacy.
The resident suffers from multiple conditions including chronic heart failure, irritable bowel syndrome, and complications from an ileostomy. She had been prescribed Lomotil 2.5-0.025 mg tablets to take every four hours as needed for diarrhea.
On August 25, inspectors observed the resident asking Licensed Practical Nurse #284 for her Lomotil during the morning medication pass. The resident told the nurse she had asked the night nurse for the same medication and was still experiencing diarrhea.
Two days later, LPN #284 confirmed to inspectors that the resident's Lomotil tablets weren't in her medication cart, despite an active physician's order dated August 25.
"She requested the Lomotil tablet last night from the nurse, who stated it was not in stock," the resident told inspectors on August 27. "She would like Lomotil medication right now, because she was still having diarrhea."
The facility's Director of Nursing acknowledged the medication shortage that afternoon. She explained that staff were expected to place "drop ship" orders with the pharmacy when necessary medications weren't available, a process that typically took four hours.
But the nursing director revealed a critical gap in the facility's operations: "She had no facility policy on when facility had pharmacy delivering medication."
The resident had returned from a hospital stay on an unspecified date in August, arriving at 5:34 PM. The nursing director called the pharmacy about the missing Lomotil and was told they needed a new prescription for the medication.
As of 4:07 PM on August 27, the Lomotil still hadn't arrived at the facility.
The resident's care plan, dating back to December 2022, specifically outlined her risk for complications related to her ileostomy. Staff were instructed to administer medications as ordered, observe for diarrhea, and monitor ostomy functioning every shift.
Another care plan from September 2022 noted her risk for adverse effects from diuretic therapy related to her congestive heart failure. Interventions included administering medication as ordered and observing for dehydration.
Despite these documented risks and care requirements, the facility failed to ensure her prescribed anti-diarrheal medication was available when needed.
The resident, who scored 15 on a cognitive assessment indicating she was mentally intact, required varying levels of assistance with daily activities. She used a wheelchair but could walk without assistance at the facility.
Her complex medical history included chronic kidney disease, a non-healing ulcer on her right calf with exposed fat layer, anxiety disorder, and overactive bladder. The combination of her ileostomy and irritable bowel syndrome made consistent access to anti-diarrheal medication particularly important.
The nursing director's admission that nurses were "instructed for any resident who had medication that needed dropped shipped" suggested this wasn't an isolated incident. The facility relied on emergency pharmacy deliveries rather than maintaining adequate medication supplies.
The inspection found that medication delivery timing depended entirely on "what the pharmacy was expecting in time frame," with no facility oversight or standards.
Federal inspectors classified this as a violation of pharmaceutical services requirements, noting the facility failed to ensure medications were available from the pharmacy for administration. The violation affected one of three residents reviewed for medication administration during the September 8 inspection.
The case illustrates how administrative failures can directly impact resident comfort and health outcomes. While the resident's diarrhea wasn't life-threatening, her repeated requests for relief went unanswered due to the facility's inadequate medication management system.
The inspection was conducted in response to complaints filed under numbers 2597140 and 2567001, suggesting concerns about medication availability may have prompted the federal review.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Laurels of West Columbus, The from 2025-09-08 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: This article is based on inspection data downloaded directly from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) via Medicare.gov. CMS releases inspection reports in bulk; we publish the findings as documented by state surveyors in the official Form CMS-2567 Statement of Deficiencies.
Plan of correction: The CMS report we receive does not include the facility's plan of correction. Facilities submit plans of correction separately to state survey agencies and those responses may not be reflected in CMS data at the time of publication. The absence of a plan of correction in our data does not mean one was not filed. Readers who want information about corrective steps taken are encouraged to contact the facility directly or their state survey agency.
Corrections may have occurred: Inspection reports reflect conditions observed on the date of the survey. Facilities may have implemented corrections, staffing changes, additional training, or other remediation since the report was issued. We report what CMS provides and encourage readers to seek current information from the facility.
Editorial process: Inspection findings are extracted from CMS source documents and synthesized using AI, reviewed for factual accuracy against the original report by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: September 19, 2026 · Our methodology
LAURELS OF WEST COLUMBUS, THE in COLUMBUS, OH was cited for violations during a health inspection on September 8, 2025.
Resident #81 requested Lomotil tablets from nurses on consecutive nights in late August, but the medication wasn't available in the facility's supply.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.