CAP Pro Course - Phlebotomy - Specimen Collection for Workplace Urine Drug Testing Programs and Forensic Drug and Alcohol Testing (2026 & 2027)

Author: Carol Becker, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM
Reviewer: Julie Ann West, PhD, MLS(ASCP)CM, SM(ASCP)CM and Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM

Continuing Education Credits

Objectives

  • Recognize the importance of the legal admissibility of clinical laboratory testing by addressing current chain of custody (CoC) identification procedures and recognized laboratory security measures for workplace urine drug testing.
  • Describe the essential requirements of proper urine specimen collection and handling for workplace urine drug testing, including accurate specimen identification and CoC documentation.
  • Define the characteristics of an acceptable urine specimen for workplace urine drug testing.
  • Identify the appropriate CoC steps necessary to avoid potential adulteration or tampering of a urine sample submitted for workplace urine drug testing.
  • Explain the proper specimen collection procedures for legal blood alcohol testing.

Course Outline

  • Recognize the importance of the legal admissibility of clinical laboratory testing by addressing current chain of custody (CoC) identification procedures and recognized laboratory security measures for workplace urine drug testing.
      • What is Chain of Custody (CoC)?
      • Proper Identification (ID) of Donors
      • Security and Controlled Access to Specimens
      • A radiology technician at Memorial Hospital has been scheduled for a urine drug test at work and needs to have a specimen collected at the outpatient ...
      • Which of the following items does not need to be included in the chain-of-custody (CoC) records?
      • The Memorial Hospital Laboratory collects specimens for workplace urine drug testing programs and forensic (legal) drug and blood alcohol testing. Som...
  • Describe the essential requirements of proper urine specimen collection and handling for workplace urine drug testing, including accurate specimen identification and CoC documentation
      • Proper Specimen Identification (ID)
      • Chain-of-Custody (CoC) Forms
      • Chain-of-Custody (CoC) Sample Handling
      • The laboratory receiving and accessioning department, which is tasked with processing urine drug test specimens, has the following responsibilities in...
      • Which of the following types of donor identifying information should be placed on urine specimen container seals to ensure specimen integrity?
      • A metropolitan children's hospital requires all new hires to submit a urine sample with a chain-of-custody form (CoC) as part of their workplace drug ...
  • Define the characteristics of an acceptable urine specimen for workplace urine drug testing.
      • Types of Urine Collections for Drug Testing Programs
      • Acceptable Urine Containers
      • Acceptable Urine Volume
      • Acceptable Urine Temperature
      • Split Specimen Guidelines
      • An employer's workplace urine drug testing program requires a donor's urine specimen to be divided into two containers and submitted as a split sample...
      • A Human Resources (HR) representative has required a nursing employee to provide a "for cause" urine collection according to the workplace urine drug ...
      • What is the acceptable temperature range for a urine specimen submitted for workplace urine drug testing?
  • Identify the appropriate CoC steps necessary to avoid potential adulteration or tampering of a urine sample submitted for workplace urine drug testing.
      • Collection Issues and Refusal to Test
      • Signs of Specimen Adulteration or Tampering
      • Prevention of Specimen Adulteration or Tampering
      • A Review of the Chain-of-Custody (CoC) Procedure for Urine Drug Testing
      • A new hire for the medical records department arrives at the Outpatient Center for a pre-employment physical, which includes a workplace urine drug te...
      • A collector for the workplace urine drug testing program at Memorial Hospital has just received an employee's urine specimen. The urine is unusually f...
      • Which one of the following findings would be among the possible reasons to recollect a chain-of-custody (CoC) urine specimen?
  • Explain the proper specimen collection procedures for legal blood alcohol testing.
      • Guidelines for Forensic (Legal) Blood Alcohol Testing
      • Forensic (Legal) Blood Alcohol Collection Requirements
      • When collecting a forensic or legal blood alcohol specimen, which of the following tube additives is most commonly used?
      • With numerous patients waiting for blood to be drawn, a busy phlebotomist is required to draw a stat forensic blood alcohol test on a patient in the e...
      • Law enforcement has informed the emergency department (ED) personnel that a legal blood alcohol level needs to be drawn on the patient arriving by amb...
  • References
      • References

Additional Information

Level of Instruction: Basic
Intended Audience: This program is designed as an educational and training tool for MLS, MT, and MLT personnel, phlebotomists, medical laboratory science students and interns, pathology residents, and practicing pathologists.
Author Information: Carol Becker, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM is a retired Program Director for the Clinical Laboratory Science program and Histology program at OSF St. Francis Medical Center located in Peoria, Illinois. Carol received her Master's degree at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, and her Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL.
The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.
Reviewer Information:
Dr. Julie Ann West is certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and as a Specialist in Microbiology (SM). In addition, Dr. West has earned a PhD in Public Health - Infectious Disease Epidemiology - and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners. Dr. West is experienced as a Technical Specialist, Safety Officer, Educator, and Lead in the Veterans Administration Healthcare System, and has prior experience as an Administrative Laboratory Director.
Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. He holds Medical Laboratory Scientist and Specialist in Hematology certifications through the ASCP Board of Certification. He was a professor at Thomas Jefferson University for seven years before transitioning into his current role as Education Developer at MediaLab by Vastian. His areas of expertise and professional passions include clinical hematology and interprofessional education. 

This course is part of the CAP Competency Assessment Hub.

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