Good documentation practice (recommended to abbreviate as GDocP to distinguish from "good distribution practice" also abbreviated GDP) is a term in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries to describe standards by which documents are created and maintained.
Some competent authorities release or adopt guidelines, and they may include non-codified GDocP expectations.
While not law, authorities will inspect against these guidelines and cGMP expectations in addition to the legal requirements and make comments or observations if departures are seen.
In the past years, the application of GDocP is also expanding to cosmetic industry, excipient and ingredient manufacturers.
Departures from GDocP that involved the regulator have included: documentation not contemporaneous,[11][12] use of ditto marks,[13] signature stamps.,[14][15] obscured original data,[16] Use of pencil,[16] inaccurate records,[16] and not dating changes.