Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Bunker Hill, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective measure for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged history of substance use by securing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. By obtaining hair close to the scalp, a detection window of up to 3 months for drugs and alcohol can be achieved. Collection is straightforward, tampering is challenging, and shipping is uncomplicated.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches and consisting of approximately 200 strands (comparable to a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields about 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for analyses. For tests like EtG or those exceeding 10 panels, a specimen of 150mg is advised. It's suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be inaccessible, the same amount of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, it pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types, such as facial or axillary.

Process Overview

The laboratory procedure for processing a drug test result encompasses four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial stage where a sample enters the laboratory’s system. This step involves verifying sample sealing and shipping integrity, assigning a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number) randomly, and completing any extra data entry that isn’t covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening entails a preliminary test for indicators of drug abuse. Although Screening is a cost-effective means to exclude drug use in most samples, court evidence requires confirmation of positive results. Samples with presumptive positives in Screening need follow-up confirmation.

During the Screening stage, if a positive is indicated, additional hair is taken from the original sample for Extraction, where drugs are drawn from hair at a lower concentration than methods like urine or oral fluids, highlighting the challenge of hair drug examinations.

Confirming any positive screening outcome is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if necessary. The complete laboratory process, spanning Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair specification and ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Pros of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days prior, unlike urine tests with shorter detection lengths.
• Detection is hard to evade: Cheating on a hair drug test is notably difficult, ensuring more reliable results.
• Historical use insight: It offers data on drug consumption patterns over time, not just immediate usage.

Drawbacks:

• Incapable of spotting recent use: Drugs become traceable in hair roughly 5-7 days post-use.
• Expense: These tests typically incur higher costs than other methods.
• Result variability: Different factors, such as hair pigmentation and individual hair growth rates, can influence metabolite concentrations.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests," the focus is on analyzing the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In the debate of hair testing versus urine tests, hair follicle assessments emerge superior due to their long detection span, often reaching up to 90 days. While urine tests have shorter detection windows, hair tests prove more reliable, offering a detailed substance usage history. This edge in accuracy strongly supports hair testing over traditional urine methodologies.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Bunker Hill, IL

Hair follicle drug testing provides an extended detection window of up to 90 days. This broad timeline is invaluable for employers, offering a comprehensive view of a candidate's or employee's drug use over time. It helps in ensuring a reliable assessment of long-term substance habits, crucial for hiring and monitoring processes in Bunker Hill, IL.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests are known for their resistance to tampering, offering results that are both reliable and indisputable. Unlike other testing methods, hair tests minimize the risk of sample adulteration, ensuring that results accurately reflect an individual's drug use history. This robust method significantly enhances trust in the testing outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations

With our widespread testing centers, accessing drug test services across the country is both quick and easy. For residents of Bunker Hill, IL, this not only means hassle-free testing but also ensures that any required services are conveniently locatable near you, simplifying the process immensely.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of ordering, conducting, and receiving results from hair follicle testing is straightforward and confidential. This maintains privacy and confidence for those undergoing testing. In Bunker Hill, IL, this simplicity is paramount, ensuring that individuals can complete the testing with ease and confidentiality.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround

Our competitive pricing models, coupled with quick result turnaround times, highlight the value we offer for businesses of all sizes in Bunker Hill, IL. This cost-effectiveness, combined with swift results, provides significant peace of mind, ensuring you receive both quality and value in drug testing services.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Bunker Hill, IL

Hair follicle tests offer remarkable precision and speed in detecting substance use. These tests stand out for their high accuracy rates, providing reliable insights into an individual's drug habits. In Bunker Hill, IL, you can rely on these tests for quick and accurate outcomes, ensuring a dependable evaluation of drug use scenarios.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For businesses in Bunker Hill, IL, adopting hair follicle testing aligns with drug-free workplace policies, mitigating legal risks and improving organizational safety. Employing this method assures compliance and provides employers with peace of mind, knowing their environment maintains high safety standards and reduces potential liabilities associated with drug use.

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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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