Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

Code · CFR · Title 21 — Food and Drugs · Part 211 — Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Finished Pharmaceuticals · § 211.170

§ 211.170. Reserve samples.

567 words·~3 min read·/us/cfr/t21/s§ 211.170·

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(a)An appropriately identified reserve sample that is representative of each lot in each shipment of each active ingredient shall be retained. The reserve sample consists of at least twice the quantity necessary for all tests required to determine whether the active ingredient meets its established specifications, except for sterility and pyrogen testing. The retention time is as follows:
(1)For an active ingredient in a drug product other than those described in paragraphs
(2)and
(3)of this section, the reserve sample shall be retained for 1 year after the expiration date of the last lot of the drug product containing the active ingredient.
(2)For an active ingredient in a radioactive drug product, except for nonradioactive reagent kits, the reserve sample shall be retained for:
(i)Three months after the expiration date of the last lot of the drug product containing the active ingredient if the expiration dating period of the drug product is 30 days or less; or
(ii)Six months after the expiration date of the last lot of the drug product containing the active ingredient if the expiration dating period of the drug product is more than 30 days.
(3)For an active ingredient in an OTC drug product that is exempt from bearing an expiration date under § 211.137, the reserve sample shall be retained for 3 years after distribution of the last lot of the drug product containing the active ingredient.
(b)An appropriately identified reserve sample that is representative of each lot or batch of drug product shall be retained and stored under conditions consistent with product labeling. The reserve sample shall be stored in the same immediate container-closure system in which the drug product is marketed or in one that has essentially the same characteristics. The reserve sample consists of at least twice the quantity necessary to perform all the required tests, except those for sterility and pyrogens. Except for those for drug products described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, reserve samples from representative sample lots or batches selected by acceptable statistical procedures shall be examined visually at least once a year for evidence of deterioration unless visual examination would affect the integrity of the reserve sample. Any evidence of reserve sample deterioration shall be investigated in accordance with § 211.192. The results of the examination shall be recorded and maintained with other stability data on the drug product. The retention time is as follows:
(1)For a drug product other than those described in paragraphs
(2)and
(3)of this section, the reserve sample shall be retained for 1 year after the expiration date of the drug product.
(2)For a radioactive drug product, except for nonradioactive reagent kits, the reserve sample shall be retained for:
(i)Three months after the expiration date of the drug product if the expiration dating period of the drug product is 30 days or less; or
(ii)Six months after the expiration date of the drug product if the expiration dating period of the drug product is more than 30 days.
(3)For an OTC drug product that is exempt for bearing an expiration date under § 211.137, the reserve sample must be retained for 3 years after the lot or batch of drug product is distributed. [48 FR 13025, Mar. 29, 1983, as amended at 60 FR 4091, Jan. 20, 1995; 89 FR 51770, June 18, 2024]
Connections11 cite this
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.