Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Moundville, AL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly regarded as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair shaft, hair offers a prolonged history of substance use. Hair collected near the scalp can reveal a detection scope of up to roughly 90 days. It is straightforward to gather, quite challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample consisting of 1.5 inches of about 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, optimal for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels over 10, a sample size of 150mg is advised. Measuring the sample with a jeweler’s scale is suggested. If scalp hair cannot be collected, an equivalent mass of body hair is acceptable. When mentioned, head hair pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair forms (facial, armpit, etc.).

Process Overview

The four central phases in a lab's drug test result analysis comprise Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the preliminary entrance of a sample into the lab system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any data entry left incomplete by the electronic chain of custody method.

Screening entails an initial, efficient assessment for controlled substances. Although Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug presence for the majority of samples, court-admissible evidence demands that positive screens be validated. Thus, samples with a presumed positive in Screening necessitate subsequent confirmation.

Should a sample be presumably positive in the Screening phase, extra hair is extracted from the primary sample for Extraction. This phase involves retrieving drugs from hair at much lower concentrations compared to alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug screening particularly labor-intensive.

Confirmation for any positive screen is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing as required before confirmation. The laboratory process, from Accessioning through Confirmation, is meticulously checked under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation as well as adherence to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug screenings are capable of recognizing drug usage up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a more limited window of detection.
• Challenging to manipulate: Avoiding detection through hair drug testing poses significant difficulty, ensuring more reliable outcomes.
• Yields historical insight: Offers a chronological pattern of drug intake over time, not just immediate use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting immediate use: A latency of about 5-7 days is required for drugs to show up in hair.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests incur higher costs than other testing approaches.
• Result inconsistency: Elements like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Despite commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the evaluation focuses on the hair strand itself, not the follicle below the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Moundville, AL, hair follicle testing outshines traditional urine tests. The clear advantage lies in a superior detection accuracy and reliability. With a longer detection period and reduced likelihood of tampering, hair tests offer a more accurate representation of personal drug history compared to urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Moundville, AL offers an extended detection window, identifying drug use for up to 90 days. This lengthy timeline allows employers an in-depth view into a person's substance past, assisting in making informed hiring or monitoring decisions more effectively than shorter-term tests.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

By employing hair follicle tests in Moundville, AL, the risk of sample tampering is greatly minimized. This method ensures the reliability and authenticity of results, making it a preferable choice for organizations that prioritize trustworthy and indisputable drug testing outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Moundville, AL benefits from the convenience of our widespread testing locations. Access to quick, seamless, and hassle-free services is ensured with national reach and local centers, facilitating all testing needs wherever and whenever necessary.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Moundville, AL, the process for hair follicle testing is both simple and confidential. From ordering to sample collection and receiving results, each step is designed to protect privacy and ensure a smooth experience, addressing any concerns with ease and efficiency.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our testing services in Moundville, AL are marked by competitive pricing and rapid turnaround. This balance of cost-effectiveness and timeliness offers great value and comfort for businesses of any size, making reliable testing services accessible to all.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The use of hair follicle drug testing in Moundville, AL emphasizes its exceptional precision and speed. These tests are renowned for their accuracy in identifying substance usage, providing reliable and timely results that benefit employers and agencies in need of trustworthy drug screening methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing in Moundville, AL provides employers with compliance and peace of mind. Utilizing this method helps enforce workplace drug-free policies, mitigating legal risks and fostering a safer work environment, thus ensuring stability and security across the company.

Drug Testing Near Moundville, AL

Cottondale, AL

Northport, AL

Union, AL

Mount Herman Valley, AL

Tuscaloosa, AL

Duncanville, AL

Akron, AL

Big Sandy-Duncanville, AL

Stewart-Akron, AL

Fosters, AL

Cypress, AL

What's New In Hair Follicle Drug Testing according to the Hair Drug Testing Experts

With its multidisciplinary nature, hair testing brings together researchers, scientists, and experts from various domains to develop innovative techniques, explore new methodologies, and address emerging concerns, responding to the ever-evolving challenges of drug abuse, therapeutic drug monitoring, and environmental exposures to pollutants.

The joint meeting of the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) and the Italian Group of Forensic Toxicologists (GTFI) was organized in Verona, June 8–10, 2022, and hosted by the Legal Medicine team of the Verona University Hospital, directed by Franco Tagliaro together with Federica Bortolotti and Rossella Gottardo.

It served as a prominent platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, facilitating groundbreaking advancements in hair testing and analysis. In this special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, we aim to showcase the remarkable manuscripts presented at this significant event, shedding light on the latest research and highlighting the future directions in this field.

Novel Analytical Techniques: The Verona meeting witnessed the unveiling of cutting-edge analytical techniques, offering enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy for drug testing. Remarkable advancements in sample preparation, detection, and identification of drug compounds have been presented. The manuscripts in this section presented novel approaches, such as multianalyte methods and on-line preparation which can enable rapid analysis and improve thorough forensic investigations.

Biomarkers and Pharmacokinetics: The identification and validation of reliable biomarkers and pharmacokinetic studies are fundamental aspects of drug testing and analysis. The impact of hair treatments on the oxidation/decomposition of drugs in hair was also explored, as the long-term fate of drugs incorporated in the keratin matrix. Furthermore, the SoHT meeting in Verona featured research on the identification and quantification of alcohol abuse biomarkers, their stability, and their correlation with exposure and other biomarkers.

Forensic Applications and Interpretation: One of the vital objectives of hair testing is its application in forensic investigations and legal proceedings. The SoHT meeting in Verona emphasized the significance of rigorous interpretation of analytical results and the need for standardized protocols. Manuscripts in this section present advancements in forensic toxicology, and have explored the challenges posed by emerging designer drugs and strategies to combat their proliferation. The pitfalls encountered when the exogenous/endogenous nature of a substance is questioned were presented and discussed. The special issue presents also manuscripts that delve into the ethical implications of drug testing in drug facilitated sexual assaults.

Clinical Applications of hair testing are witnessed by the insight on environmental tobacco smoke exposure, assessed by hair analysis in a population of students and the study of in utero-exposure to drugs of abuse through neonatal hair analysis. Exposure to drugs was also important in cases of child abuse/neglect, when the clinical purpose of hair testing merge with its forensic applications.

The legal framework surrounding hair testing and the achievement of guidelines to ensure fairness, accuracy, and confidentiality in drug testing practices have also been discussed,and the SoHT consensus on general hair testing and testing for drugs of abuse was presented at the meeting and published as a Letter to the Editor.

In conclusion, the special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, featuring manuscripts from the SoHT–GTFI meeting in Verona 2022, reflects the remarkable advancements achieved in this field. The manuscripts provide valuable insights into novel analytical techniques, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, forensic applications, and ethical considerations. As we embrace these advancements, we pave the way for a safer, healthier society, where drug testing and analysis serve as powerful tools in protecting public health and maintaining integrity in various sectors. The research presented in this special issue will undoubtedly shape the future of drug testing and analysis, fostering collaboration and inspiring further innovation in this crucial area of scientific inquiry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews