Chain of Custody in Medical Deliveries: What Pharmacies Need to Know

Updated December 28 2025 · Medical Logistics Compliance

Chain of custody is a foundational requirement in medical delivery. For pharmacies and healthcare providers, it ensures that medications are tracked, handled responsibly, and delivered securely from pickup through final handoff.

In Ontario, failures in chain of custody can expose pharmacies to regulatory, legal, and reputational risk — even when a third-party courier is used.

What Does Chain of Custody Mean in Medical Delivery?

Chain of custody refers to the documented process that records who had possession of a delivery, when custody changed hands, and how the item was handled throughout transport.

For prescription deliveries, this includes pickup confirmation, transport controls, delivery verification, and retention of records for audit or investigation if required.

Why Chain of Custody Is Critical for Pharmacies

Pharmacies remain responsible for patient information and medication integrity throughout the delivery process. Incomplete or missing documentation can make it difficult to respond to patient inquiries, regulator requests, or internal audits.

Chain of custody requirements work alongside PHIPA compliance responsibilities and the use of appropriate operational delivery supplies to reduce regulatory, legal, and reputational risk for pharmacies.

This risk is amplified when serving seniors, retirement homes, or long-term care facilities, where deliveries often involve batch shipments and multiple handoff points.

Key Elements of an Effective Chain of Custody

• Clear pickup confirmation and time-stamping
• Controlled access during transport
• Documented delivery handoff
• Retention of proof-of-delivery records
• Ability to reconstruct delivery timelines if required

Operational Tools That Support Chain of Custody

While procedures and training form the core of chain of custody, pharmacies and medical couriers often rely on basic operational tools to support consistent documentation and accountability.

Common Chain of Custody Gaps to Avoid

• Relying on verbal confirmation instead of documented proof
• Using general couriers without healthcare training
• Failing to retain delivery records for audit periods
• Mixing medical and non-medical deliveries in the same workflow

Why Medical-Only Couriers Matter

Medical-only couriers are structured around healthcare workflows. They operate with trained personnel, controlled access to delivery information, and procedures designed to support audit-ready chain of custody.