Sourcing Documentation Basics

Documentation is a system, not a folder

Every product that enters your clinic should arrive with a record of where it came from, what it is, and how it was handled. The practices that pass inspections easily are not the ones with the most paperwork, they are the ones whose paperwork is findable.

Decide up front where records live, who files them, and how they are named. A consistent naming convention beats a perfect filing system that only one staff member understands.

What to keep per product

Keep the record tied to the specific lot you administered, not just the product line. If a question comes up months later, lot level records are what answer it.

• Supplier identity and the invoice for the specific order
• Product identity, lot number, and expiration
• Manufacturer or compounding documentation supplied with the order
• Receiving record, including temperature condition on arrival
• Storage log for anything temperature sensitive
• Administration record linking the lot to the patient encounter

Separate research use only material clearly

Research use only products are sold for research use and are not for human consumption. Store and label them separately from clinical inventory, and never let them share a shelf or a par level with patient facing product. Physical separation is the clearest control you can implement.

Review quarterly, not annually

A quarterly review of expirations, storage logs, and missing documentation takes an hour and prevents the scramble that happens when a year of gaps surfaces at once. Put it on the calendar and assign it to a named person.