06/26/2020
Data Resources received an email the other day from QEC promoting their unique container id program. We currently purchase most of our sample containers from SCISPEC (another qualified supplier that also offers unique container id numbers) and other suppliers to fit the diversity of our sample container need. Since we have multiple suppliers the opportunity for supplier issued unique container id numbers to actually be common across suppliers is a real possibility. As this is a potential situation then the supplier issued unique container id numbers are truely not unique from our point of view.
It was over 10 years ago when Data Resources designed a solution to the multiple supplier issue and to supplier(s) that do not offer unique container id numbers.
Data Resources has understood the importance of the sample container tracking attribute to help boost the integrity of testing results.
So for more than 10 years now, Data Resources has been implementing through our LIMS (DataMaster) the ability to track sample containers via a unique container id number. Each container prepared for sampling is labeled via DataMaster with a unique number that tracks container lot, preservative, and more.
The power of this tracking ability has benefited many of our customers over the years. If you're not a customer of Data Resources, look at the Data Packages your laboratory provides and see if you can track the test result back to a unique container id number.
At Data Resources, this unique container id number is recorded on the chain of custody and becomes linked directly to the testing result. As the container is ultimately discarded ... the Data Package remains archived. At any point in the future you may begin with the testing result and follow the track back to a container lot, preservative, and more should the need arise.
An important part of maintaining and protecting sample integrity is the ability to track the sample container throughout the process of sample collecting, transit to the lab, analysis, and reporting.
