What the requisition is for
The requisition orders AFB smear and mycobacterial culture, and mycobacterium nucleic acid testing, at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory. The current version is 1.0, dated August 2026. A section for inter-laboratory samples lets a referring lab send a sample or a positive culture for further testing.
Who completes it
The ordering practitioner completes it for a patient sample. A referring lab completes the inter-laboratory section. Highlighted fields are required.
How to fill in the requisition
Section 1: Patient and provider information
Enter the Personal Health Number, or an out-of-province health number, the patient’s name, date of birth, sex, address and phone, and the date and time collected. Give your name, MSP number and report address, up to three copy-to practitioners, and the receiving clinic if you are a locum. Sign and date. Two matching identifiers must be on the container and the requisition.
Samples for AFB smear and culture
Tick the sample: sputum, induced sputum, bronchial wash, tissue or body fluid with its source, gastric wash, urine, blood, feces or other. Gastric washes go only in the pre-made buffered glass jars from BCCDC. For feces, tick history of HIV infection or suspected gastrointestinal TB as they apply.
Exposure and treatment history
Tick exposure to an active case, exposure to drug-resistant TB with the country, membership of a high-risk group, a positive skin test or IGRA, and current TB treatment. Use the clinical history box for symptoms, imaging findings and previous TB.
Inter-laboratory samples and special requests
A referring lab gives the source, whether the sample was digested or concentrated, smear, TB molecular and rifampin molecular results, and the date a culture became positive. Any special test needs a call to the medical microbiologist on call first.
Common reasons it’s delayed
- Identifiers on the container don’t match the requisition.
- Several sputum containers in one bag.
- A gastric wash in the wrong container.
- Exposure and treatment history left blank.
- A special test request without the required consultation.
Submitting and who pays
The sample and requisition go to the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory at 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver. Reports go to the ordering practitioner and up to three copy-to practitioners. The form has no billing section.