A protocol deviation/violation is any change, divergence, or departure from the study design or procedures of a research protocol that has not been approved by the IRB. The principal investigator (PI) is responsible for reporting the protocol deviation/violation to the IRB using the Protocol Deviation/Violation reporting form. The IRB chair or IRB member will review this form to determine if additional information or further reporting is necessary. If a protocol deviation/violation may be noncompliance, HRPP Manual 9-2 “Noncompliance” must be followed. Protocol deviations/violations which may meet the definition of an unanticipated problem involving risks to subjects or others must be reported promptly and HRPP Manual 9-1 “Unanticipated Problems Involving Risks to Subjects or Others” must be followed.
Urgent protocol deviations/violations that may affect the subject's rights, safety, or well-being and/or affect subject’s willingness to participate in the study should be reported within 72 hours.
Examples of protocol deviations/violations include but are not limited to:
Failure to follow the approved study procedure
Study procedure conducted out of sequence
Omitting an approved portion of the protocol
Failure to perform a required lab test
Missing lab results
Enrollment of ineligible subject (e.g., subject’s age was 6 months above age limit)
Study visit conducted outside of required timeframe
Failure of subject to return study medication
Over-enrollment
Dosing errors that have been cleared by the Sponsor
Failure to perform or collect required labs or other statistics
Sponsor approved changes in protocol
Data collection that occurs outside of the planned time window or location
Failure to obtain informed consent prior to initiation of study-related procedures
Enrollment of a subject who did not meet all inclusion/exclusion criteria
Performing study procedure not approved by the IRB
Failure to report a unanticipated problem involving risks to subjects or others to the IRB and/or sponsor
Drug/study medication dispensing or dosing error
A research subject received an excluded concomitant medication
Incorrect storage of study medications
Study visit conducted outside of required timeframe that, in the opinion of the PI, may affect subject safety
Failure to follow safety monitoring plan
See HRPP Manual 9-5, “Unapproved Change in Protocol” for requirements when an immediate change in a research study is necessary to eliminate a hazard to subjects.
This policy and procedure supersedes those previously drafted.
Approved By: Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies, 7-19-2011.Revision 1 approved by VP Research & Graduate Studies on 12-9-2015. Revision 2 approved by Assistant VP Regulatory Affairs on 7-21-2016.