[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR58.81]

[Page 309]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                                SERVICES
 
PART 58--GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE FOR NONCLINICAL LABORATORY STUDIES--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart E--Testing Facilities Operation
 
Sec. 58.81  Standard operating procedures.


    (a) A testing facility shall have standard operating procedures in 
writing setting forth nonclinical laboratory study methods that 
management is satisfied are adequate to insure the quality and integrity 
of the data generated in the course of a study. All deviations in a 
study from standard operating procedures shall be authorized by the 
study director and shall be documented in the raw data. Significant 
changes in established standard operating procedures shall be properly 
authorized in writing by management.
    (b) Standard operating procedures shall be established for, but not 
limited to, the following:
    (1) Animal room preparation.
    (2) Animal care.
    (3) Receipt, identification, storage, handling, mixing, and method 
of sampling of the test and control articles.
    (4) Test system observations.
    (5) Laboratory tests.
    (6) Handling of animals found moribund or dead during study.
    (7) Necropsy of animals or postmortem examination of animals.
    (8) Collection and identification of specimens.
    (9) Histopathology.
    (10) Data handling, storage, and retrieval.
    (11) Maintenance and calibration of equipment.
    (12) Transfer, proper placement, and identification of animals.
    (c) Each laboratory area shall have immediately available laboratory 
manuals and standard operating procedures relative to the laboratory 
procedures being performed. Published literature may be used as a 
supplement to standard operating procedures.
    (d) A historical file of standard operating procedures, and all 
revisions thereof, including the dates of such revisions, shall be 
maintained.

[43 FR 60013, Dec. 22, 1978, as amended at 52 FR 33780, Sept. 4, 1987]