DRUG TEST SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND
ACCESSIONING
Review on Functions and Responsibilities:
Head of the Laboratory
Administrative
● Has general and overall supervision of the
facility and all aspects of laboratory work;
● Has general supervision and conduct of all
laboratory personnel;
● Formulates and implements standard
operation manual that govern the operation
of the DTL. This shall be periodically
reviewed and updated;
● Prepares financial and annual reports of the
laboratory;
● Provides other administrative support
services such as communications, security
and maintenance services .
Technical
● Supervises and directs all analytical
procedures of the laboratory;
● Assures quality of all laboratory test results;
● Issues, signs out and interprets laboratory
results;
● Evaluates and recommends reagents,
supplies and equipment;
● Reviews the CCF and reports received from
authorized collector;
● Interviews the Client/Donor/Subject, if
necessary;
● Reviews pertinent medical records of
Client/Donor/Subject, if necessary;
● Cancels the results of all specimen which
are not collected or tested not in accordance
with the DTL manual;
● Reviews, rejects, and refers for confirmation
and retesting all specimen and test results
that are positive, adulterated, substituted or
invalid;
● Implements remedial actions necessary to
maintain satisfactory operation and
performance in the laboratory;
● Directs protocol for preventive maintenance
of equipment;
● Provides comprehensive, continuing training
and education of personnel related to
conduct of DTL.
Review on Functions and Responsibilities:
Analyst
● Verifies the completeness of Custody and
Control Form (CCF);
● Prepares specimen for analysis;
● Examines, processes and analyzes
specimen for drug testing;
● Interprets, records, releases and signs out
laboratory results;
● Assists in the implementation of quality
assurance program;
● Assists in the evaluation of reagents,
supplies and equipment;
● Refers to the Head of the Laboratory as the
need arises.
Review on Functions and Responsibilities:
Authorized Specimen Collector
● Restricts unauthorized personnel to enter
the collection site during collection;
● Verifies identity of the Client/Donor/Subject;
● Provides security to specimen supplies,
records and documents at collection site;
● Informs the Client/Donor/Subject the
procedures of specimen collection;
● Performs only one specimen collection at a
time;
● Accepts and seals the specimen container
in the presence of the Client/Donor/Subject;
● Accomplishes CCF.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
REQUIREMENTS: FLOOR PLAN
● Screening Laboratory shall have at least
twenty (20) square meters in floor area.
- Work area must be ten (10) square
meters with an exhaust fat, sink, and
storage cabinet.
● Confirmatory Laboratory - shall have at least
sixty (60) square meters in floor area.
- Clinical work area must be thirty (30)
square meters with exhaust fan, sink,
fume hood, stock room and
instrumental room.
● Designated area which can receive or
accommodate at least five (5) prospective
Client/Donor/Subjects at a given time, a
hand washing facility, toilet facility, and stall
for the orderly collection of specimen.
Collection Site Requirements
● A suitable clean surface for handling the
specimen and completing the required
paperwork;
● A secured temporary storage capability to
maintain a specimen until it is tested or
shipped to the laboratory.
● An area to provide Client/Donor/Subject
privacy appropriate to the specimen being
collected (e.g., toilet);
 ● A controlled and secured area for supplied
and records;
● A poster or information bulletin with a
detailed description of the proper specimen
collection processes.
● A source of water for hand washing external
to toilet facility (for urine collection)
On Site Specimen Collection
● Specimen are collected at a designated
area within the drug testing facility
● For all mandatory tests except for crime
scene and post accident
DRUG TEST SPECIMEN COLLECTION AND
ACCESSIONING
Collection Site Requirements
● A toilet/stall
● Hand washing facility outside of toilet
● Specimen booth
● Toilet coloring agent
On Site Specimen Collection
● Specimen are collected at a designated
area within the drug testing facility
● For all mandatory tests except for crime
scene and post accident
REMOTE COLLECTION
● Specimen are collected at a temporary
facility located at a remote site.
Remote Collection:
Allowable Conditions
● Workplace, school, jail, prison or rehab
centers
- Random
- Follow-up
- Reasonable suspicion
- Cause
● Critically ill or disabled
● Secure permit from BHFS or CHD for
remote collection 10 working days prior to
scheduled collection
● No testing/examination to be done at a
remote collection site
Collection Supplies: Specimen Containers
● Urine: 30 or 60 ml, polyethylene bottle wide
mouth with screw cap
● Saliva: 30 ml polyethylene bottle
● Blood: 10 ml plain test tube
● Hair: self sealed transparent plastic bag
● Sweat: BFAD approved sweat patch
● Tissues: screw capped plastic container
Urine Specimen
● Least expensive, most popular
● Easy to do
● Standardized procedures
● Detects use within the week
● Abstaining can produce negative reaction
● Established specimen validity tests
Hair Specimen
● Expensive and tedious
● 2x more sensitive than urine test
● Do not detect recent use
● Detects chronic substance abuse
● Requires 1.5x1.5 cm hair clump
● Not affected by drug abstinence
● Can determine temporal pattern
Blood Specimen
● Most accurate method
● Least common method
● Short detection time
Saliva Specimen
● Uncommon method
● Easy to administer
● Short detection time
● No reference standardized
Sweat (patch) Specimen
● Requires wearing of patch 1-2 weeks
● Uncommon methods
● No reference standards develop
● Surface contaminations can cause false
positive
● Can detect use for extended period of time
Minimum Quantity of Specimen
● Scalp hair: 100mg or its equivalent
● Saliva: 2ml (single) 1.5 and 0.5 (split)
● Sweat: DOH cleared patch worn for 7-14
days
● Urine: 60ml single 30ml each for split
sample
● Blood: 5ml
Reasons for Drug Testing
● Mandatory tests
● Random tests
● Reasonable suspicion/cause
● Post accidents
● Follow up, return to duty
● Preemployment
Methods of Specimen Collection
● Observed collection
- In the presence of ASC
● Unobserved collection
- In the absence of ASC
● Submitted samples
● Subject to validity tests
Types of Specimen Collection
Single specimen collection
 ● Specimen is entirely placed in a single 60ml ● Closes, places and initials seal over the lid
bottle bottle in front of donor
Split specimen collection ● Asks donor to fill up and sign Step 5
● Specimen is collected at same time but Forms of Tampering Specimen
placed in 2 separate containers at least ● Dilution
30ml each ● Substitution
Preliminary Procedures Prior to Collection ● Adulteration
1. Verify identity of donor Dilution Techniques
2. Explain basic collection procedure Internal dilution:
3. Answer questions regarding the procedure ● Drinking plenty of water
● Diuretic like Lasix, Tea, Coffee, Beer

Donor Identification: External dilution:

● Photo ID (drivers license, employee ID, ● Addition of water to specimen
passport) Additives/Adulterants
● Identification by authorized agency ● Bleach
representative ● Ammonia
● Any other ID allowed by agency’s workplace ● Liquid soap
drug testing plan ● Table salt
Steps in collection ● Vinegar
● Visine eye drops
CUSTODY AND CONTROL FORMS (CCF)
Custody and Control Forms
● A form used to document the security of
specimen
- All steps of collection
- Persons who handled the specimen
- Status and integrity of specimen
- Pertinent info
● A form document chain of custody from
collection to transport, analysis and
releasing of reports
● Improper entries will invalidate testing
procedure
● With legal and forensic implications
● 3 copies (px/employer, ASC, lab)
Data Entries in CCF
● Patient info: name, address, sex, etc.
● Names, signature of handling specimen
Steps in Collection ● Status of specimen: temp, physical
appearance, other remarks
● Drug test requested
● Result of test (screening/confirmatory/ NRL
level)

Storage of Specimen
Steps in Collection ● Urine: -20 ˚C
● Measure temperature, volume, inspect for ● Scalp hair: cool and dry place
adulteration and substitution. Fills up Step 2 ● Saliva: deep frozen at least –8 to -10 ˚C
and initiates Step 3 of CCF
 ● Blood: separate serum and immediate
freeze at -20 ˚C
● Tissue: macerated and frozen
Specimen Retention
● Negative result= 5days
● Positive result= minimum of 15 days
● Adulterated, substituted, invalid result=
15 days
● Judicial proceedings or upon request=
up to a year

Specimen Rejection at Collection Site:

● All rejected specimen shall be documented
and reported to the Head of the Laboratory
(HOL)
Memorandum for Record (MFR)
● A record to document that recovery,
corrective and remedial measures to
administrative errors
● Accomplished by ASC and other lab
personnel
● Errors are not corrected by a MFR shall be
rejected or canceled
● The specimen collection is considered the
“weakest link” of the drug testing program.
All efforts must be done to make the
collection legally, forensically and technically
indefensible.