Vial Labels & Reconstitution Log Sheets

Why labelling is a technical control

What belongs on the vial

• Compound name and the lot number from the original vial
• Diluent used and the volume added
• Resulting concentration, calculated and written rather than assumed
• Date and time of reconstitution
• Operator initials
• A use-by or re-verify date consistent with the study's stability assumptions

What belongs on the sheet

The vial label is a working identifier; the log sheet is the durable record. Sheets survive the vial's disposal, capture entries the label has no room for, and make it possible to reconstruct which lot produced which dataset. Where several vials of the same compound are in use at once — different lots, different concentrations, different storage locations — a written log is the only practical way to keep them distinguishable.

Cold-storage practicalities

Labels fail in predictable ways: paper stock wicks condensation and delaminates, standard adhesives release from cold glass, and water-based inks run when a vial is swabbed with alcohol. A synthetic film with permanent acrylic adhesive and a marker-compatible matte surface addresses all three. Applying labels to dry vials at room temperature before chilling gives the adhesive time to bond properly, which is the single most common handling mistake with cold-storage labelling.

Apply labels to clean, dry glass at room temperature and press the full surface down, then allow the adhesive to set before the vial goes into refrigerated or freezer storage — applying to an already-cold, condensation-covered vial is the usual cause of labels lifting later. Write the entry before applying rather than after, since writing on a curved surface is imprecise. Keep unused labels flat on the backing sheet away from heat and humidity so the adhesive does not dry out. Store completed log sheets with the corresponding study record rather than loose on the bench. Laboratory use only.