Sold at extremely high prices, a record $45,000 was paid for a single gallbladder (Barron 1991). To illustrate the avid market in this product, an Asian dealer in New York City was murdered in 1991 to obtain his profits from the sale of bear gallbladders.
In the absence of state law guidance, APA's Record Keeping Guidelines indicate that psychologists may consider maintaining full records for seven years after the last date of service or for three years after a minor patient reaches majority, whichever comes later.
The law also requires nursing facilities to maintain medical records for each patient. The records must be kept for seven years after the patient is discharged from the facility. If the patient is a minor, the records must be kept for one year after the patient reaches the age of 18, but for at least seven years.