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7 AAC 27.520. Persons required to collect specimens. (a) Responsibility for collection and submission of specimens resides with the health care provider attending the newborn child. If a newborn child is not attended by a health care provider, the department encourages the newborn child’s parent or guardian to present the newborn child as early as possible within the newborn child’s first 48 hours of life to a health care provider for the required testing as described in 7 AAC 27.530. (b) If a newborn child is receiving care in a medical facility or is admitted to a medical facility within 48 hours of age, the blood specimen required in 7 AAC 27.510 must be collected before that child’s discharge or transfer to another medical facility. (Eff. 12/30/77, Register 64; am 2/3/88, Register 105; am 7/13/94, Register 131; am 7/16/2011, Register 199; am 7/1/2018, Register 226) Statutory Authority: Authority: AS 18.05.040 AS 18.15.200 AS 18.15.210 7 AAC 27.530. Collection of blood specimen; refusal of collection. (a) The minimum blood specimen collection requirements for the screening described in 7 AAC 27.510 are the following:

(1) one specimen must be collected before the newborn child is 48 hours of age;

(2) if the screening of the initial specimen shows an abnormal result for one or more of the tested conditions or the specimen was contaminated, spoiled, or otherwise not adequate for screening, a second specimen must be collected if requested by the department; and

(3) a second specimen may be required if a newborn child is born prematurely, has a low birth weight, or is admitted to a specialty care unit according to the department’s and the unit’s screening procedures. (b) The blood specimen must be collected using the procedure described on the test card for the screening provided by the department. The specimen must be submitted on the test card provided by the department. All information requested on the test card must be provided by the attending health care provider. The specimen must be shipped to the designated laboratory not later than 24 hours after the time the specimen is collected, according to the department’s and facility’s guidelines and at the department’s expense.