Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Camp Creek, AZ

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as a potent method for identifying the use of drugs and alcohol. Hair retains a prolonged record of alcohol and drug usage by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. When hair is gathered near the scalp, it can offer roughly a 3-month detection range for drug and alcohol use. Gathering hair is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and conveniently transportable.

An ideal sample for screening and confirmation involves a 1.5-inch segment comprising about 200 strands of hair (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil), taken nearest to the scalp, to collect 100mg of hair. For tests involving EtG, additional panels, and/or exceeding 10 panels, a sample size of 150mg is advisable. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample is suggested. If scalp hair cannot be collected, an equivalent mass of body hair may be used. "Head hair" pertains specifically to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four principal stages in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial integration of a specimen into a lab’s framework. This involves confirming proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling out any additional data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial rapid assessment for drug abuse indicators. While this is a cost-efficient means to dismiss drug use for most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed for courtroom validity. Samples that are tentatively positive during Screening require further confirmation testing.

If tentative positivity is observed during Screening, additional hair from the original sample is extracted for preparation during the Extraction phase. During this phase, drugs are drawn from hair at significantly lower concentrations than through other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluids), making hair drug screening one of the most challenging methods to perform.

Confirmation of any presumptive positive outcomes from Screening is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as necessary. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can detect drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection period.
• Difficult to manipulate: It is highly challenging to cheat on a hair drug test, resulting in more credible outcomes.
• Historical data provision: It offers a timeline of drug use patterns rather than recent usage only.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: Approximately 5-7 days are required before drugs become detectable within hair.
• Expensive: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Variables such as hair color and personal differences in hair growth might affect drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Camp Creek, AZ: In Camp Creek, hair testing triumphs over urine tests by offering superior detection reliability. While urine tests detect recent use, hair tests provide a longer-term view, detecting usage up to 90 days prior, ensuring higher accuracy and unfaltering dependability.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Camp Creek, AZ: Hair follicle testing in Camp Creek grants a significant detection advantage, recording drug use for up to three months. This extensive timeframe gives employers a deeper insight into an applicant's or employee's substance use history.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Camp Creek, AZ: Hair follicle tests in Camp Creek drastically cut the chance of tampering, delivering trustworthy and unfalsifiable outcomes. This method ensures increased confidence in the testing results amidst efforts to manipulate samples.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Camp Creek, AZ: Our vast network of testing centers across the nation, including Camp Creek, guarantees quick, seamless access to drug testing services, fitting the needs of individuals and businesses.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Camp Creek, AZ: The hair follicle drug testing procedure in Camp Creek is straightforward and private, addressing privacy concerns while ensuring an easy and discreet experience from order to results, safeguarding confidential client information.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Camp Creek, AZ: Our pricing strategy in Camp Creek is designed to deliver outstanding value, paired with brisk turnaround times, making it a compelling choice for businesses of various scales seeking cost-efficient testing.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Camp Creek, AZ: Hair follicle drug tests in Camp Creek offer unmatched speed and precision. Their high accuracy in identifying substance use is invaluable for those demanding trust in their drug test results, guaranteeing quick and dependable outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Camp Creek, AZ: Employing hair follicle testing in Camp Creek ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, lowering potential legal liabilities and boosting workplace security and integrity, easing employers' concerns.

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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.

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