All specimens must be labeled in the presence of the patient at the time of collection. Inaccurate or incomplete labeling may result in rejection of the specimen by the laboratory. Unlabeled specimens will automatically be rejected by the laboratory. When labeling a specimen for the laboratory, the following information must be included:
- Patient's first name and last name
- Hospital medical record number, date of birth or alternate unique patient number
- Collector's ID
- Time the specimen was collected
- Date the specimen was collected
A phlebotomist must NEVER pre-label specimen containers. This can result in specimen mix-up and potentially disastrous consequences for the patient.
