Shipping Instructions

Specimen Labeling

To insure proper identification of specimen s, please put the patient's name, the clinician's name, and the current date on the general purpose laboratory request form and the formalin-filled specimen bottle(s), cytology slide(s), and/or microbiology specimen. If multiple biopsy specimens are submitted, please indicate the specific site of each specimen by placing in separate labeled specimen bottles or by the use of different length or different placement of suture material if the specimens are placed within the same formalin bottle. For multiple cytology slides please include the specific site, in pencil, on the frosted portion of the slide in addition to the patient's surname. The penciled writing should be on the side of the slide on which the smear was applied.

General Purpose Laboratory Request Form

We furnish you a laboratory request form which may be used for your biopsy, cytology, and/or microbiology specimens. To ensure accurate diagnosis and proper billing for each submitted specimen, please fill out this form completely by typing or printing legibly. It is very important that all areas of the form be filled out with complete addresses including zip codes and telephone numbers where requested. Please note that several diagrams of the oral cavity are provided on the reverse side of the form for convenient indication of the specimen's location.

Federal Express Shipping Instructions

All of your specimens, biopsy / cytology / microbiology kits and diagnostic reports are sent and received by FedEx to help insure safe and timely transportation of your specimen(s). Please perform the following:

1. For biopsies, screw the lid on the formalin-filled specimen bottle tightly and wrap with the provided white surgical tape. Place this bottle inside the larger, white plastic container (with formalin warning label) to prevent leakage in transit. This outer container satisfies FedEx's requirement of double containers.
2. Insert the double container specimen bottles and the general purpose laboratory request form, with the appropriate marked procedure, into the provided FedEx medical specimen bag and seal the open end. If your specimen is a cytology slide, place the slide(s) within a plastic slide holder (available from us upon request) and then seal within the specimen bag, with the appropriate marked procedure on the lab request form. If your specimen is a microbiology specimen, seal the specimen within the specimen bag with the appropriate marked procedure on the lab request form.
3. Call 1-800-GO FEDEX for specimen pickup within one hour, anywhere in the United States.

In most cases a typewritten report of the biopsy or another diagnostic result will be sent to you via FedEx within 24 hours of receiving the specimen in our laboratory. We will immediately FAX any result that is so requested on the lab request form. Therefore, for a routine specimen, the total amount of time from pickup of the specimen until receipt of diagnosis should be three work days.

Factors which can delay the issuance of a diagnostic report or delay the arrival of the faxed or FedEx sent report at your office are:

1. Hard tissue specimens which require decalcification procedures. They generally require 3-7 additional days depending on the specimen's density and size.
2. Unusual specimens may require deeper tissue sections, special stains, or special consultations with local or distant laboratories. Your office will be informed of any additional cost and/or delay of this nature.
3. Missing, mislabeled, illegible, and/or incomplete laboratory request forms.

It is the policy of our laboratory to telephone your office immediately if your submitted specimen results in an unusual or malignant diagnosis. We will also phone other diagnoses, if indicated by you in the 'special instructions' section of the laboratory request form.