The CNA carried a locked box containing the methadone along with its key from November 19 through December 15, according to records from the third-party clinic that provided the medication. Federal inspectors found the facility had no policy governing this arrangement.
During interviews in late December, the Director of Nursing confirmed the practice but acknowledged the facility lacked specific procedures for methadone pickup. "The facility had no policy," she told inspectors on December 22. She explained that either a CNA or nurse would collect the medication weekly or biweekly, and if the assigned CNA was scheduled off, "an arrangement was made for the CNA to come in for a couple of hours to go and pick up the Methadone."
The facility's own narcotic policy, revised in March 2025, explicitly states that "controlled substances are delivered and signed for a licensed nurse."
A registered nurse at the facility told inspectors that CNAs should never handle methadone. "A CNA should not pick up Methadone because it was a narcotic medication, and CNAs do not handle narcotics or any type of medication," the nurse said. "A CNA should not handle or deliver narcotics or any sort of medication because they are not licensed."
The consultant pharmacist said the methadone clinic fell outside his oversight.
When pressed by inspectors, administrators admitted they relied on their general narcotic policy rather than developing specific procedures for controlled substance pickup from outside clinics. The Licensed Nursing Home Administrator confirmed their corporate office provided no guidance for methadone transport protocols.
The CNA told inspectors she delivered both the medication box and key to nursing supervisors upon returning to the facility.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Complete Care At Fair Lawn Edge from 2025-12-29 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.