Anatomic Pathology Specimen Identification

All specimens for anatomic pathology must have the following information on the container label:

  • Patient's full first and last name
  • One of the following unique identifiers:
    • Personal Health Number (PHN) or Unique Lifetime Identifier (ULI) number
    • Hospital Patient Identification Number (RHRN or MRN)
    • Personal Identification number (e.g. Federal numbers such as Military, RCMP, Refugee, Immigration, etc.) 
  • Body site of tissue origin

Multiple specimens on the same patient with the same collection date must have an alpha designation (A, B, C, etc.) that coincides with the requisition.The information on the specimen container must match the information on the requisition.

Specimens from patients with known or suspected infectious diseases should be marked infectious.

Some specimens require special handling. See Anatomic Pathology Specimen Collection in Lab Tests and Services.