[Histonet] No expiration dates on chemicals

[WILLIAM DESALVO]

Dry chemicals can have an extremely long shelf life. I once visited Chuck Churukian's lab (god rest his sole) and he had a wall of dry chemicals, and quite proud, that many were well over 20 years old. Test and retest before you discard. Liquid reagents can often have an extended shelf life and often past the manufacturers expiration date.
 
For patient safety and quality consistency, I suggest you should test for efficacy of the chemical or reagent before discarding. If it continues to perform as indicated, then you can continue to use. Remember to label the chemical from the date of testing and set a new retest date.
 
In your post you do not mention and since you have not labeled the chemicals you ask about, I think you may want to check all you labeling. Make sure you are compliant w/ the CAP regulation for labeling and expiration dates for all chemical and reagents in your lab. Just as a precaution and suggestion, to be compliant when you receive any reagent or chemical without a manufacturer expiration date, you must place your own label for receipt and retesting, creating your lab expiration date. The label must have a date for retesting and initialed by the person applying the label. I typically suggest a 12 month period, for patient safety and manageable quality control, to retest the chemical or reagent. Make sure you document your process along w/ the original and retesting results. Also make sure you have labeled any solutions you produce and use in the lab.
 
It is never a good thing for you, the lab or the patient to have an inspector find a container of chemicals or reagents without a label. Check and double check for labels. It is a difficult process to manage and often too easy to find containers without the proper labeling.
 

William DeSalvo, B.S., HTL(ASCP)
Production Manager-Anatomic Pathology
Chair, NSH Quality Management Committee
Owner/Consultant, Collaborative Advantage Consulting

 

> Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:49:44 -0500
> From: patpxs <@t> gmail.com
> To: jpiche-grocki <@t> wtbyhosp.org
> Subject: Re: [Histonet] No expiration dates on chemicals
> CC: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> 
> We keep ours no longer than 5 years. If there is no expiration date
> on the bottle when we receive it, we mark it as expired 5 years from
> date of receipt.
> 
> Paula
> 
> -- 
> Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP)
> Supervisor, Clinical Electron Microscopy Laboratory
> Duke University Health System
> Rm.#251M, Duke South, Green Zone
> Durham, North Carolina 27710
> P: 919.684.2091
> 
> 
> On Thu, Jan 31, 2013 at 12:36 PM, PicheGrocki, Jessica
> <jpiche-grocki <@t> wtbyhosp.org> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Just wondering what everyone is doing in regards the ANP question involving expiration dates on chemicals and reagents? Is everyone getting rid of old chemicals that have been opened for 10 years or more?
> >
> > Please advise.
> >
> > Have a good day and thank you,
> >
> > Jessica Piche', HT (ASCP)
> > Waterbury Hospital Histology Lab
> >
> >
> >
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