Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Rock Island, FL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an excellent resource for identifying drug and alcohol presence. Hair captures a prolonged history of alcohol and other substances by locking in biomarkers within the fibers of the growing strand. When taken close to the scalp, hair can offer roughly a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch section of about 200 strands of hair (similar in thickness to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional screenings, and/or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg specimen is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen. If scalp hair is not accessible, an equal volume of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, we refer specifically to scalp hair; body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning entails the preliminary handling of a sample into the lab’s system. This process involves verifying that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any further data entry not included by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial swift evaluation for substances of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient strategy to screen out drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in legal contexts. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening require an additional confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptively positive in Screening, more hair is sourced from the original specimen and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are derived from hair at a much lower concentration than other approaches (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging methodology to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are cleansed as necessary. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes assessment under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extensive detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests, which offer a shorter detection timeframe.
• Challenging to manipulate: Hair drug tests are very challenging to manipulate, resulting in more credible outcomes.
• Reveals historical usage: It can illustrate a pattern of drug usage over a period, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: It requires approximately 5-7 days for drugs to be detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than other drug testing methods.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can impact the levels of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Despite often being referred to as "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle underneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing
In Rock Island, FL, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine tests through its superior detection reliability and accuracy. Hair tests reveal a more in-depth understanding of substance use with a much longer detection timeline, making them more reliable and harder to manipulate than urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window
Hair follicle testing in Rock Island, FL offers an extended detection period, identifying drug use over nearly 90 days. This longer timeframe allows employers to gain comprehensive insights into an individual's substance use history, enhancing employment screening processes with a wider scope of analysis.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method
Hair follicle testing significantly reduces the likelihood of sample tampering in Rock Island, FL. Its method is robust against adulteration, ensuring samples remain unaltered. This reliability gives employers and testing institutions confidence in the validity of test results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations
Accredited Drug Testing offers the convenience of numerous nationwide testing centers, including Rock Island, FL. These accessible locations provide quick, uncomplicated access to testing services, simplifying the process for all involved parties.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process
The drug testing process in Rock Island, FL is straightforward and respects confidentiality. Ordering, administering, and receiving results is streamlined, addressing privacy concerns and ensuring ease of use for all clients involved in the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround
With competitive pricing and quick result delivery in Rock Island, FL, we offer great value for businesses of all sizes. The efficiency of our service ensures that companies receive timely, cost-effective solutions to meet their testing needs.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results
The hair follicle drug test in Rock Island, FL stands out for its precision and rapid processing. It is highly accurate in identifying substance use, making it a superior choice for those who need quick, reliable results. This testing method offers dependable confirmations of substance presence, granting users peace of mind through dependable detection accuracy.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers
In Rock Island, FL, utilizing hair follicle testing aids in upholding workplace drug-free policies. By reducing legal risks and enhancing safety, companies can ensure compliance with regulations, thereby fostering a secure and law-abiding work environment.

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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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