Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Southside, AR

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol use. Hair offers an extended timeline of drug and alcohol use by encasing biomarkers within the hair strand as it grows. When gathered near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection period of up to 3 months for alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is ideal for screening and confirmation tests. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale is recommended to measure the specimen's weight. If scalp hair cannot be acquired, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. By head hair, we mean scalp hair only. Body hair includes other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug test result lab processing includes these four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial sample processing step within a laboratory’s system. It involves ensuring the sample was sealed and dispatched properly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry that an electronic chain of custody does not provide.

Screening is a primary quick test for drugs of abuse. While it's a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed for legal admissibility. Any presumptive positive findings in Screening necessitate further verification.

If Screening indicates a presumptive positive, additional hair is taken from the initial specimen for the Extraction process. Drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods (like urine or oral fluid), underlining the complexity of hair drug screening.

The confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are washed when needed. The complete 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 trace drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is very tough, ensuring more accurate results.
• Shows usage history: It offers an overview of drug use over time instead of just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect immediate use: Drugs require approximately 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Differences in hair color and personal hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Often termed "hair follicle tests", the procedure examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Southside, AR, hair follicle testing surpasses urine tests by offering improved detection accuracy and dependability. Hair tests are able to reveal drug use over an extended time, providing a more comprehensive assessment of substance history over urine samples, which only offer a snapshot. Employers benefit from the superior reliability of hair testing, aiding in creating healthier workplaces by reducing uncertainty in test results.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Southside, AR features a prolonged detection window, up to 90 days, offering a thorough perspective on an individual's drug use history. This extensive timeframe enables employers to gain better insight into their employees' substance use patterns, assisting in more informed decision-making. Traditional urine tests, in contrast, lack this breadth, which limits their utility in long-term assessment scenarios.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Southside, AR, hair follicle tests effectively mitigate the probability of sample adulteration. The collection process is extensively monitored, ensuring the integrity of results. Unlike urine tests, which can be manipulated with relative ease, hair tests offer definitive results that are less susceptible to tampering, thus guaranteeing the reliability of the findings. This provides peace of mind, knowing that the outcomes are credible and indisputable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Southside, AR, our extensive network of nationwide testing locations ensures convenient, seamless access to testing services. Whether you're looking for a local center or something more widespread, our setup makes the process of securing a hair test straightforward. This infrastructure offers both flexibility and ease, catering to companies and individuals alike with dependable testing facilities readily available.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for obtaining hair follicle testing in Southside, AR is simple and confidential. From booking to processing, every step prioritizes client privacy. The straightforward scheduling, testing, and reporting processes address confidentiality concerns, providing our clients peace of mind. Such an approach means anyone can confidently complete tests, maintaining discretion and convenience throughout the whole procedure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Southside, AR benefits from our affordable pricing and fast turnaround times, ensuring all companies, regardless of size, receive excellent value. Our structured pricing plans meet diverse budgets, while our rapid results ensure minimal disruption to business operations. Combining competitive costs with efficient service delivery, we provide a compelling option for companies seeking reliable drug testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Southside, AR, hair follicle drug tests provide rapid, precise, and dependable results. These tests boast a high degree of accuracy when identifying substances, with minimal error margin compared to other methods.
Hair samples offer a solid forensic foundation due to their stability and traceability, ensuring higher reliability for substance history detection. The swift processing times further enhance operational efficiency.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For Southside, AR employers, employing hair follicle testing ensures compliance with stringent workplace drug policies. Such tests minimize legal risks by solidifying a drug-free work environment and promoting safety. It adds assurance to employers about the adherence to regulations and the wellbeing of their employees. Establishing a safe and compliant worksite is pivotal for business operations, making hair testing a crucial component.

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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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