lab slips

[the lab lady]

how long should one keep the lab slips from completed cases? it has come in handy for me to have them when a doctor insists that i made an appliance wrong, or better yet, doesn't want to pay because they swear that they don't have a patient by that name and never ordered work for them...but is there any use to keeping them beyond a couple of months? is there any sort of law or regulation?

 

[TheLabGuy]

Yep, FDA compliance and most state laws require 2 years. I've heard some state require 5 years, but I don't know who they are, the ones I've been to is only 2 years.

 

[charles007]

I hold mine 5 years, don't ask me why..... Seems like you are suppose to hold for 3.... many years ago.....

 

[kcdt]

2 years is the average. I'm considering scanning mine in for data base retrieval. Anybody have luck with that?

 

[doug]

I have them from about 24 years ago. all in the closet in boxes, by year. I could scan them into the Labnet software and shred the originals but that doesn't seem to be an option right now. I have never had anyone ask to see the stored ones, nor have I had to retrieve more than about 5 in my career to verify information.

 

[CatamountRob]

The reason to keep them, as I understand it, is that if you get sued, you aren't liable as long as you followed the prescription. You need the prescription to prove that. Rob