What happens if the chain of custody does not have matching specimen ID numbers?

The situation where the chain of custody does not have matching specimen ID numbers represents a fatal flaw. This means that the integrity of the specimen is questioned and cannot be reliably traced back to the original donor. In drug testing processes, the chain of custody is crucial for ensuring that the specimen collected for testing is the same as the one tested, maintaining the validity of the results. If there is a discrepancy in ID numbers, this breaks the continuity of the chain of custody and raises concerns about tampering, substitution, or other errors, leading to a rejection of the test results.

Since the chain of custody is fundamental in ensuring the accuracy and legitimacy of drug testing, any issues, such as mismatched specimen ID numbers, are considered critical. This contrasts with other types of flaws that may be correctable or could affect administrative processes but would not undermine the overall validity of the testing as seriously.