Ship frozen serum samples to McKesson BioServices at least once every three months. Make shipments by mid- February, May, August, and November to ensure McKesson has sufficient time to log in the blood samples before the database consolidation at the end of the month. A quarterly shipping of blood specimens by the CC is required. CCs may make more frequent shiipments at the CC’s discretion. All CCs must ensure that frozen samples are shipped on a quarterly basis to McKesson BioServices regardless of the number of samples in the freezer. Ship on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Do not ship on a day before a McKesson BioServices holiday. McKesson BioServices holidays are: New Year's Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Samples must be frozen at least two hours at −70°C before packing them for shipment. If the blood samples were drawn on the same day you plan to ship them to McKesson, to help with freezing, leave the lid off the freezer box until it is ready to be packed for shipment. If the insulated shipping container is not filled, stuff newspapers to stabilize the freezer boxes.
Ship the fiberboard shipping box with frozen samples to McKesson BioServices by day or overnight courier to ensure receipt at McKesson BioServices within 24 hours. There is no minimum number of cryovials to include in a shipment; ship all frozen cryovials regardless of the number of specimens that have been frozen and stored within the last collection period. However, CCs must follow current International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations. As of January 1997, IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations have changed. The maximum allowable volume of diagnostic specimens allowed in a shipping container has increased from 500 ml to 4 liters (4000 ml). You can send up to 16 freezer boxes in the large shipping container. Include all the blood aliquots you have drawn and frozen. Form 104 - Frozen Specimen Shipment has been replaced with the McKesson BioServices form Notification of WHI Shipment. CCs use this form to record shipping information and to order blood collection and shipping supplies. The CC is responsible for faxing the Notification of WHI Shipment form (Figure 11.7A) to McKesson when the CC sends a blood shipment. Upon receiving the blood shipment, McKesson will complete the “Confirmation of Receipt” section of the Notification of WHI Shipment form and send it to the CC. If the required WHI Notification of Shipment form is not sent to McKesson by the CC, then McKesson cannot return a Confirmation of Receipt.
Two options may be used for ensuring blood samples are sent to McKesson when a participant has her blood drawn while she is visiting another CC:
The option that you select to use should be a mutually agreeable process by both the “permanent CC” and the “visiting CC.” Note that the work scope for the permanent CC is the same for both options. The work scope for the visiting CC is dependent on the option choice.
Figure 11.7ANotification of WHI Shipment
The permanent CC has responsibility for the following:
The visiting CC has responsibility for the following:
The permanent CC has responsibility for the following:
The visiting CC has responsibility for the following:
Pack the freezer storage boxes of frozen blood and urine samples in the shipping boxes as follows: (The shipping box is composed of an inner styrofoam insulating portion and an outer fiberboard shell).
Figure 11.8Frozen Specimen Shipping Labels
Figure 11.9Federal Express Airbill for Frozen Specimens
McKesson BioServices personnel will complete the Confirmation of Receipt section of the Notification of WHI Shipment form upon arrival of the shipment at the repository. The McKesson BioServices staff will record:
If McKesson BioServices staff do not receive the shipment on the expected day, they will trace the shipment using the airbill number. McKesson BioServices will include a packing slip when sending blood collection and other supplies to the CC. |