How Long Do I Need to Keep this Document? A Guide to Record Retention in Materials Management
(August 2020) – A health care provider's records retention procedure may be a coordinated responsibility between multiple departments, including supply chain. The procedure involves a standardized process for accumulating, transporting, storage and retrieval; and disposal of records as mandated by state statutes or regulatory agencies. With the advance of technology, records retention procedures should be updated to include management of records in the electronic health records and materials management inventory systems.
Specifically for the Materials Management department, the following are recommended timeframes per the State of Kansas or AHRMM.
Type of Record | Retention Period |
| Order Requisitions | 5 Years |
| Vendor Purchase Orders | 10 Years |
| Packing Slips | 5 Years |
| Receiving Report | 5 Years |
| Vendor Invoices | 7 Years |
| Returned Goods Credits | 5 Years |
| Controlled Substances: Order Forms | 2 Years |
| Controlled Substances: Inventory Records | 5 Years |
| Food Costs and Meal Counts | 7 Years |
| Housekeeping Room Records | 5 Years |
| Medical Device Incident Reports | 10 Years After Date of Report |
| Medical Device Recalls | 2 Years |
| Radioisotopes (receipt, transfer, use, storage, delivery, disposal, reports of over-exposure) | Permanent |
| Pricing Contracts | 7 Years |
| Construction Contracts | Permanent |
| Consultant Contracts | Permanent |
| Licenses, Permits, Contracts | Permanent |
| Policies and Procedures | 6 Years from Date of Creation |
| Depreciation of Equipment Records | Permanent |
| Equipment Leases | 10 Years |
| Fixed Asset Invoices/Capital Expenditure Voucher | Permanent/Life of the Asset Plus 7 Years |
| Equipment Records by Location | Permanent |
| Equipment Inspection Reports | Permanent |
| Equipment Operating Instructions | Permanent |
| Equipment Maintenance and Service Agreements | 5 Years After Expiration |
| Equipment Warranties | Permanent |
| Engineering/Facilities Dept. Purchase Orders | 10 Years |
| Sterile Processing - Sterilizer Load Records | 3 Years |
| Sterile Processing - Biological Indicator Records | 3 Years |
| Medical Service Waste | 3 Years |
| Hospital/Medical/Infectious Waste Incinerators (HMIWI) | 5 Years |
It's important to understand that state statutes supersede any federal regulations meaning the State of Kansas law overrides any federal regulation requirements. Individuals responsible for the facility's record retention program should stay abreast of federal, state and accrediting agency rules and regulations.
Sources for this article: KHA Record Retention Guide
AHRMM CMRP Exam Review Guide 2018
--Lori Knoeber