Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Briggsdale, CO

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a compelling resource for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The hair captures a long-term record of alcohol and other drugs by preserving biomarkers in the fibers of the growing strand. When procured close to the scalp, it offers a detection span of nearly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to gather, not easily tampered with, and effortless to transport.

A 1.5-inch snippet consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg, the optimal amount for screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not accessible, a similar quantity of body hair might be used. When mentioning head hair, it pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (including facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four key stages in the lab processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the sample's initial processing within a laboratory's system. This incorporates confirming that the sample was appropriately sealed and dispatched, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening encompasses a preliminary swift assessment for drugs of misuse. While Screening is a budget-friendly approach to exclude drug use in the majority of samples, a positive screen must be verified to be valid in court. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening do require further confirmation.

If a sample is initially found positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is removed from the initial collection and prepped for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at a considerably lower concentration than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging method to perform.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as necessary. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the 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 offer a shorter detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: It's notably challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, ensuring more precise results.
• Historical insights: It can reveal a pattern of drug use over the long term, rather than just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs require approximately 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expensive: Hair drug tests often incur higher costs than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Variables such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Though often termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Briggsdale, CO. Hair testing outperforms traditional urine tests with its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Employers benefit from a consistent and factual method, ensuring workplace drug policies' robustness and effectiveness.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Briggsdale, CO. Hair follicle tests offer a broader detection range—up to 90 days—providing employers comprehensive insights into an individual's substance use history, ensuring informed decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Briggsdale, CO. Hair follicle tests are notably tamper-resistant, reducing the possibility of sample adulteration and ensuring the credibility of collected data.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Briggsdale, CO. Our expansive network of testing centers across the country offers quick, easy, and hassle-free access to services, enhancing flexibility for users.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Briggsdale, CO. Our straightforward and confidential process for ordering, conducting, and receiving results addresses privacy concerns while ensuring user-friendliness and comfort.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Briggsdale, CO. Our competitive pricing and swift test processing provide great value, delivering peace of mind and benefit for businesses of any size.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Briggsdale, CO, hair follicle drug tests shine for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. These tests offer high precision, swiftly identifying substance use. The streamlined process ensures dependability and timely outcomes, critical for decision-making.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Briggsdale, CO. Implementing hair follicle testing assures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, mitigating legal risks and bolstering workplace safety significantly.

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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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