The practical answer
Give every container its own row and receipt number, and record supplier lot, certificate reference, received date and condition, status (quarantine, released, rejected), storage location and stated condition, retest or expiry date, each withdrawal or transfer with date and quantity, and final disposal with date and person. ICH Q7 and the US GLP rule for test articles both expect receipt, identity, storage and distribution of each batch to be documented. [1] [2]
Evidence, method & source dates ↓What the log is for
An inventory log answers four questions at any moment: what do we hold, which lot is it, where is it, and is it still within its stated date and condition. A chain-of-custody log adds a fifth: who moved it, when, and how much. Without both, a certificate on file cannot be tied to the material used in an experiment.
ICH Q7 lists records that should be kept for incoming materials: the manufacturer, identity and quantity of each shipment of each batch, the supplier and its control number, the number allocated on receipt, the date of receipt, test or examination results, records tracing use, and the final decision on rejected material. [1] The GLP rule for test and control articles asks that receipt and distribution of each batch be documented, including the date and quantity of each batch distributed or returned, and that proper identification be maintained throughout. [2] Research labs may not be bound by either, but the field lists are a sound template.
Core fields and why each one is there
| Field | Why it is needed | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Internal receipt number | One code per container, used for every later entry | Q7 7.24 [1] |
| Product name as labelled and in-house name | Links supplier naming to your naming | Q7 7.20 [1] |
| Supplier and supplier lot | Links the container to its certificate | Q7 6.30 [1] |
| Certificate file reference and lot match (yes or no) | Shows whether the certificate describes this container | Q7 6.30 [1] |
| Received date, received by, condition on receipt | Starts the custody record and notes damage or seals | Q7 6.30, 7.20 [1] |
| Quantity received and units as labelled | Baseline for reconciliation | Q7 6.30 [1]; GLP 58.107 [2] |
| Status and release date | Quarantine until reviewed, then released or rejected | Q7 7.20 [1] |
| Storage location and stated storage condition | Lets you check storage matches the supplier basis | Q7 10.10 [1]; GLP 58.105(c) [3] |
| Retest or expiry date and which one it is | Flags material due for review | Q7 9.43, 11.6 [1] |
| Withdrawals and transfers: date, quantity, by whom, to where | Traces use and custody | Q7 6.30 [1]; GLP 58.107 [2] |
| Disposal: date, reason, procedure reference, by whom | Closes the record | Q7 6.30 (rejected material) [1] |
How to link the log to the certificate and receiving record
The receipt number is the key. Write it in the receiving record, in the certificate file name, on an internal label that does not cover the supplier label, and in the inventory row. OSHA's laboratory standard requires that labels on incoming containers of hazardous chemicals not be removed or defaced, and that safety data sheets received with shipments be kept and accessible. [4]
If the certificate lot and container lot do not match, record "no" in the lot-match field and keep the container in quarantine. Do not edit the lot field to make them agree; that is the error the log exists to catch.
A fictional example row
The values are invented to show how a row reads. Container R-0412 is received on 1 October with supplier lot A123, the certificate for lot A123 is filed as COA-R-0412, the container is released on 3 October, and two withdrawals are logged.
| Field | Example value |
|---|---|
| Receipt number | R-0412 |
| Supplier lot / certificate lot / match | A123 / A123 / yes |
| Received | 2026-10-01, by initials JD, outer box intact, seal intact |
| Status | Released 2026-10-03 by initials KL |
| Location and stated condition | Freezer 2, shelf B / condition copied exactly from label |
| Date type and date | Retest / 2027-04-01 |
| Withdrawals | 2026-10-05 2 mg (JD, project P-7); 2026-10-19 2 mg (JD, project P-7) |
| Quantity remaining (calculated) | 6 mg of 10 mg labelled |
| Disposal | Blank until closed |
Monthly checks that keep the log honest
- Reconcile: count containers in each location against open rows. Investigate every mismatch.
- Dates: list rows whose retest or expiry date falls in the next 60 days and decide, in writing, whether to request a retest result or plan disposal.
- Storage: where storage conditions are critical, keep the condition records. ICH Q7 says records should be maintained of storage conditions if they are critical for the material. [1]
- Quarantine: list containers still in quarantine and the open question holding each one.
- Disposal: confirm each closed row names the procedure followed; use your institution's environmental health and safety procedure, which this guide does not replace.
Common gaps
| Gap | Consequence | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| One row per order instead of per container | Cannot trace which vial was used | Split into one row per container with its own receipt number |
| Quantity remaining typed over | No record of use | Log each withdrawal as its own entry and calculate the remainder |
| Certificate stored by supplier name only | Certificate cannot be matched to a container | Name the file with the receipt number and supplier lot |
| Date recorded without saying retest or expiry | Wrong decision when the date passes | Add a date-type field |
| Disposal not recorded | Inventory never reconciles | Close every row with date, reason and person |
Questions before you decide
Do research labs have to keep a peptide inventory log?
Requirements depend on your institution, funder and jurisdiction. ICH Q7 and the US GLP rule show what a complete record contains even where they do not apply.
Should I log by vial or by order?
By container. Each container needs its own receipt number so its certificate, storage and use can be traced.
What do I do when a retest date passes?
Record it, mark the status as under review and ask the supplier for a dated retest result. Do not extend the date in the log yourself.
Check the underlying evidence
Sources & review dates
- ICH Q7: Good Manufacturing Practice Guide for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (Step 4, 10 November 2000) ↗Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- 21 CFR 58.107: Test and control article handling (Legal Information Institute) ↗Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- 21 CFR 58.105: Test and control article characterization (Legal Information Institute) ↗Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450: Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories ↗Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources are documentary evidence. They do not establish firsthand testing of a listed supplier.