WHAT IS CHAIN OF CUSTODY?
Chain of Custody is a legal
term that refers to the ability to guarantee the identity and integrity of the
specimen from collection through to reporting of the test results.
It is a process used to
maintain and document the chronological history of the specimen. (Documents
should include name or initials of the individual collecting the specimen, each
person or entity subsequently having custody of it, the date the specimen was
collected or transferred, employer or agency, specimen number, patient's or
employee's name, and a brief description of the specimen.)
A secure chain of custody,
together with the analytical techniques used by the Regional Laboratory for
Toxicology to confirm the identity of drugs present in a specimen, leads to the
production of a legally defensible report.