21 CFR Part 312 · Investigational New Drug Application

§ 312.62 Investigator recordkeeping and record retention

Subpart D - Responsibilities of Sponsors and Investigators Official text on eCFR Amendment history

(a) Disposition of drug. An investigator is required to maintain adequate records of the disposition of the drug, including dates, quantity, and use by subjects. If the investigation is terminated, suspended, discontinued, or completed, the investigator shall return the unused supplies of the drug to the sponsor, or otherwise provide for disposition of the unused supplies of the drug under § 312.59 .

(b) Case histories. An investigator is required to prepare and maintain adequate and accurate case histories that record all observations and other data pertinent to the investigation on each individual administered the investigational drug or employed as a control in the investigation. Case histories include the case report forms and supporting data including, for example, signed and dated consent forms and medical records including, for example, progress notes of the physician, the individual's hospital chart(s), and the nurses' notes. The case history for each individual shall document that informed consent was obtained prior to participation in the study.

(c) Record retention. An investigator shall retain records required to be maintained under this part for a period of 2 years following the date a marketing application is approved for the drug for the indication for which it is being investigated; or, if no application is to be filed or if the application is not approved for such indication, until 2 years after the investigation is discontinued and FDA is notified.

Independent copy, not an official legal edition. 21 CFR is a U.S. Government work in the public domain; this text comes from the eCFR and the annual CFR edition, and may lag recent amendments. The authoritative version is on ecfr.gov. Compliome is not affiliated with or endorsed by FDA. Not legal advice.

What FDA inspectors cite under § 312.62

Form FDA 483 observations citing this section, fiscal years 2009–2026 (Bioresearch Monitoring).

  • Case history records- inadequate or inadequate 1,181
  • Accountability records 344
  • Record retention 65
  • Unused drug disposition (investigator) 26

Warning letters citing § 312.62

16 FDA warning letters since 2017 cite this section ; the most recent:

FDA guidance that cites § 312.62

and 10 more.

Amendment history

Federal Register documents that created or amended this section.