Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Between, GA

What it is, How it works

Regarded as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption, hair testing offers insight into long-term substance use by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of developing hair strands. When sourced from close to the scalp, hair can deliver up to a three-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and convenient to ship.

A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp supplies 100mg of hair, which is the optimum sample for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional testing, and/or tests involving more than 10 panels, it is advised to obtain 150mg of the sample. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. In cases where scalp hair is not present, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Conversely, body hair encompasses all other hair types (such as facial or underarm hair).

Summary of the Process

The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four principal stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the initial handling of a sample within a laboratory’s framework. This phase includes confirming that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any further data entry not handled by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening consists of a preliminary quick assessment to check for drug abuse. Although Screening is an economical approach to determine drug usage in most samples, a positive finding necessitates confirmation for it to be permissible in legal settings. Any samples deemed presumptively positive during Screening require additional confirmation.

Should a sample be indicated as presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. This phase involves isolating drugs from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other techniques (such as urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug screening the most challenging technique to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive result from Screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. Presumptively positive samples are rinsed prior to confirmation as necessary. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited according to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests, which have a shorter detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: It is considerably challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, enhancing the accuracy of the outcome.
• Offers historical information: This test can reveal a history of drug usage over time, rather than just recent use.

Drawbacks:

• Unable to detect recent drug use: It generally takes about 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Typically, hair drug tests cost more than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug residues detected in hair.

Note: Despite being commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle tests offer substantial advantages over traditional urine tests in Between, GA. Hair testing boasts superior detection accuracy and reliability, ensuring more comprehensive results.
Unlike urine tests, hair analyses capture a broader history of drug use, accommodating the stricter protocols many businesses demand.

Extended Detection Window

In Between, GA, hair follicle testing is renowned for its extended detection window, reaching up to 90 days. This method provides employers with a thorough insight into an individual’s substance use background, proving invaluable in assessing long-term behaviors.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Between, GA, offer a tamper-resistant solution to drug screening. By significantly curbing the likelihood of sample adulteration, this testing equates to unrivaled and reliable outcomes, cementing trust in the process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Between, GA benefits from convenient nationwide testing locations, offering quick and effortless accessibility to testing services. Our widespread centers ensure an efficient and seamless testing process.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Between, GA is both simple and confidential. Our streamlined approach addresses privacy concerns and guarantees ease from ordering to result retrieval, enhancing user experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Between, GA, the affordable pricing and fast turnaround of hair follicle tests offer companies exceptional value. With cost-effective structures, businesses can swiftly maintain safety without straining finances.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Between, GA, hair follicle drug tests provide fast, precise, and reliable outcomes. Hair testing stands out for its high level of accuracy when identifying substance use, making it a preferred method over others.

The swiftness and accuracy of hair follicle testing assure employers of genuine results, making it a smart choice.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair testing delivers compliance and peace of mind for employers in Between, GA. By ensuring adherence to drug-free policies, such tests mitigate legal risks and enhance workplace safety, fostering a more secure working 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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