The health personnel involved in the collection of the specimen must be aware of the many steps in the procedure and the importance of maintaining an unbroken chain of custody. Each patient must be handled individually to ensure that there are no mixups in the completion of forms and collection of specimens.

Before testing, the individual should be asked to sign a consent form for the drug screen, which the specimen collector retains. Next, the appropriate health care personnel (not the clerical staff) should explain the procedure to the patient and begin completing the chain-of-custody form. Most laboratories use the individual's Social Security number as identifying information, but some may include the name.