| Pathology Specimen Transport Requirements |
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Changes to pathology specimen packaging requirements during transport
The National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Committee (NPAAC) guidelines for the transportation of specimens have recently changed.
In the hospital building (foot, trolley): It is now required that all pathology specimens are double packaged. The specimen containers (tubes, pots, syringes, etc.) act as the first layer of packaging, but they must now be transported in a specimen bag. Fortunately, this precaution is already widely adopted across our health network.
Outside the hospital building (road, rail, ferry): It is now required that all pathology specimens are triple packaged. The specimen containers (tubes, pots, syringes, etc.) act as the first layer of packaging, but they must now be transported in a specimen bag and another protective container, such as an eskie or transport bag.
For more information, please see: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/npaac-trans-path-spec-toc .
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