What is the primary role of a phlebotomist?

The primary role of a phlebotomist is to collect blood samples for diagnostic testing. This task involves drawing blood from patients using various techniques and ensuring that the samples are collected in a way that maintains their integrity for accurate test results. Phlebotomists must be skilled in venipuncture and capillary collection methods and are responsible for properly identifying patients and labeling samples to prevent errors.

While processing blood samples in a laboratory is an important part of the laboratory workflow, it typically falls outside the primary duties of a phlebotomist, as this is usually performed by laboratory technicians or technologists. Similarly, administering medications directly to patients is outside the phlebotomy scope of practice, which focuses on blood collection rather than therapeutic interventions. Conducting patient interviews may be part of the process in preparing for blood collection, but it is not the fundamental role of a phlebotomist, as their main focus remains on the actual collection of the blood samples necessary for diagnostic purposes.