Star Valley Care Center: Infection Control Failures - WY
A nurse at Star Valley Care Center confirmed that a resident identified in inspection records only as Resident 7 had been receiving doses from an insulin pen that expired in January 2028, more than 28 days after it was first opened on December 30, 2025. The manufacturer's instructions are specific: do not use the pen past its printed expiration date, and do not use it more than 28 days after first use. The pen still had roughly 190 of its original 300 units remaining when inspectors pulled it from the medication cart on February 11, 2026, at 10:12 in the morning.
Insulin potency degrades after the manufacturer's recommended use window. A resident receiving degraded insulin doses faces the risk that blood sugar is not being managed as prescribed.
Three minutes later, inspectors found a bottle of glucose tablets on the same cart with no open date written on it and no visible expiration date. The bottle was between one-quarter and one-half full. RN #1 said it was a community bottle, available for any resident to use. Nobody could say how long it had been there.
At 10:15 a.m., inspectors pulled a medication card for Resident 11 from the same cart. It held Cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride, a muscle relaxant, prescribed at 5 milligrams three times daily as needed. The expiration date stamped on the card was October 31, 2025, more than three months earlier. Six pills were already gone from the card. RN #1 explained that the card had come with the resident at admission and was being kept available for use.
Seven minutes later, in the locked medication cabinet in a separate medication room, inspectors found tramadol, a controlled opioid pain reliever, also labeled with Resident 11's name. Its expiration date read October 2025. Same explanation: the resident had brought it from home upon admission.
The facility's own policy states that expiration dates must appear on all medication packaging and that the pharmacy is responsible for monthly inspections. The Director of Nursing confirmed to inspectors that the pharmacy audits storage monthly and that expired medications should be removed and returned to the pharmacy.
Pharmacy Technician #1 said the most recent check had been completed on February 10, 2026, the day before inspectors arrived.
RN #2 said nursing staff also checked for expiration dates periodically, as a secondary layer. The expired tramadol and Cyclobenzaprine had both been in the building since at least the residents' admission dates. The glucose tablets had no date at all.
CMS rated the harm level for this deficiency as minimal harm or potential for actual harm, meaning inspectors did not find evidence that residents had been injured. But the category captures a range. A diabetic resident receiving insulin from a pen used past its effective window may not know their blood sugar is being managed with a compromised dose. A resident in pain reaching for a muscle relaxant or tramadol marked expired three months prior has no way to know the drug in their hand is past the date the manufacturer stands behind.
The inspection covered two of two medication storage areas at the facility, and inspectors found problems in both.
Star Valley Care Center sits on Hospital Lane in Afton, a small community in Lincoln County in western Wyoming. The February 12 inspection was a standard health survey.
Resident 11 came through the door with expired controlled substances in her belongings. Those medications were logged, stored in a locked cabinet, and left available for use. The pharmacy checked the cabinet the day before inspectors came. The tramadol was still there when they did.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Star Valley Care Center from 2026-02-12 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: August 4, 2026 · Our methodology
Star Valley Care Center in Afton, WY was cited for violations during a health inspection on February 12, 2026.
The manufacturer's instructions are specific: do not use the pen past its printed expiration date, and do not use it more than 28 days after first use.
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.