General Specimen Collection

The College of American Pathologists require at least two (2) unique patient identifiers on specimens submitted for testing.

Before Collection

Verify patient identification by having patient, parent or guardian state full name and date of birth. Photo identification is mandatory for a chain of custody drug screening.

The phlebotomist may collect blood samples by venipuncture or capillary draw. The doctor, a physician office employee, the patient or the patient’s guardian is responsible for collecting other specimen types.

Specimen Labeling

Label each specimen with the following:

Patient’s name or another unique identifier
Date and time of collection
Sample source if indicated
Phlebotomist’s initials

Specimen Preservation

Submit sample preserved by a method listed in the test directory. Frozen samples must have sample type listed on the container.

Test Request Form

Submit a test request form complete with the patient’s test and billing information and any other pertinent information. It is very important that each request include the following:

Patient’s first and last name
Date of birth
Date and time of collection
Physician’s name
Test(s) requested
Pertinent clinical history (Example: for Pap tests, the patient’s last menstrual period and last Pap result)
Signed Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN), if applicable
ICD-10 Code if applicable
Complete billing information