Chain of custody for specimen couriers
What a good chain-of-custody handoff looks like for medical couriers — fields, photos, and common mistakes. Ops guide, not legal advice.
Chain of custody sounds legalistic. On the road it’s simple: can you show who had the specimen, when it moved, and who took it next?
The minimum useful log
- Specimen or bag ID (client-assigned)
- Pickup facility + released-by name + time
- Courier name / company
- Delivery facility + received-by name + time
- Exceptions (seal broken, wait time, temperature notes if your client requires them)
Stop proof vs chain of custody
Stop proof is the evidence of a handoff (name, time, optional photo). Chain of custody is the sequence of handoffs. You want both.
Common mistakes
- Only texting “done” to a group chat
- No recipient name
- Mixing patient extras onto a courier sheet that doesn’t need them
- Waiting a week to invoice with no run IDs
Free template
Use our chain of custody form. When paper gets heavy, VialOps keeps the log with the route board and per-stop invoice.
FAQ
Minimum CoC fields?
Bag ID, pickup/release, courier, delivery/receive, exceptions.
Stop proof vs CoC?
Stop proof = one handoff. CoC = the sequence.
Legal advice?
No. Ops guide only. Not a HIPAA certification.