Who should witness medication waste, if policy requires?

• A. Resident.
• B. Family member.
• C. Pharmacist.
• D. A witnessed party per facility policy (for example, nurse or supervisor).

Answer: (D)

When medication waste must be witnessed, the observer should be an individual designated by the facility’s policy. This is about accountability and proper disposal: a witnessed party provides an independent check to verify the waste amount, time, and method, and to sign off on the waste record. This helps prevent errors or misuse and ensures documentation meets policy and regulatory requirements. Residents and family members are not typically appropriate witnesses due to privacy and potential conflicts of interest, while a pharmacist may witness in some settings, the key point is that the facility has a designated witness who is authorized to observe and document the waste. Therefore, the correct choice is the witnessed party per facility policy (for example, a nurse or supervisor).