Upcoming Changes Under Review for AFH Medication Error Reporting

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Residential Care Services (RCS) has announced a potential rules update to medication error reporting requirements that may affect Adult Family Homes.

This proposed rulemaking is intended to bring Washington into compliance with new federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) requirements related to critical incident reporting. Federal rules require states to ensure serious incidents are identified, reported, and tracked.

Under the new RCS rule proposal, Adult Family Homes would be required to report medication errors to DSHS when the error results in a call to Poison Control, an emergency department visit, an urgent care visit, hospitalization, or death. At this time, such reporting is not required under current AFH regulations.

RCS is seeking feedback from providers and other stakeholders before moving forward. An Interested Parties Meeting is scheduled for February 19, 2026, with a second meeting planned for March 9, 2026, if additional discussion is needed. These meetings provide an opportunity for providers to ask questions and share input on how the proposed reporting process could work in practice.

No changes have been finalized. Providers are encouraged to stay informed and participate in the discussion, as this rulemaking could impact future reporting and compliance expectations.