Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Franklin Grove, IL

What it is, How it works

An effective method for tracking drug and alcohol consumption is through hair testing, which captures a prolonged history of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. With hair extracted near the scalp, the detection timeframe for substances can extend up to about three months. Hair collection is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch portion of around 200 hair strands (approximately akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, ideal for thorough screening and verification. For specific tests like EtG, add-ons, or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale is advisable for weighing the sample. In the absence of scalp hair, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. “Head hair” specifically denotes scalp hair, while “body hair” pertains to all other hair categories (facial hair, axillary hair, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory procedure for producing a drug test result broadly consists of four stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the preliminary integration of a sample into a lab’s system, ensuring proper seal and shipment, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishing any further data input not managed by an electronic custody chain system.

Screening offers an initial swift assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is efficient in cost for negating drug usage across most samples, a positive result must be confirmed for legal acceptance. Any samples flagged as positive during Screening necessitate subsequent confirmation.

When a sample tests preliminarily positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial batch and prepped for Extraction. In this phase, hair drug screening extracts drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making it one of the most challenging testing methodologies.

Confirmation of a positive screening result uses GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All samples flagged as presumptive positive are cleansed before confirmation if needed. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire lab process follows both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and adheres to ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests identify drug use for as long as 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter detection spans.
• Cheating is minimal: Hair drug tests are tough to cheat, yielding more reliable results.
• Historical insights: These tests reveal drug use patterns over time, beyond just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Recent use undetectable: A lag of 5-7 days exists before drugs become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs compared to alternative testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual growth rates can impact drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests," the test evaluates the hair strand instead of the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Franklin Grove, IL
Hair testing offers unequaled benefits over traditional urine tests, notably in terms of detection accuracy and reliability. Unlike urine tests, hair tests have a broader detection window and are less prone to tampering, providing a more reliable evaluation of an individual's drug use behaviors.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Franklin Grove, IL
The extended detection period of up to 90 days offered by hair follicle tests enables employers to gain comprehensive insights into a candidate or employee's drug use history. This prolonged window surpasses that of other test types, thus offering a broader understanding of substance use patterns.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Franklin Grove, IL
Hair follicle testing is notably resistant to manipulation, significantly minimizing the potential for sample tampering. The method's built-in protections ensure the collection process is consistent and trustworthy, offering results that can be depended upon without question.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Franklin Grove, IL
Our extensive network of testing centers across the nation, including those in Franklin Grove, provides seamless and convenient access to drug testing services. This extensive reach ensures that our services are available to meet the needs of our customers without excessive travel or inconvenience.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Franklin Grove, IL
The process for conducting hair follicle testing is straightforward and maintains confidentiality at every step, from ordering the test to receiving the results. This simplicity alleviates concerns regarding privacy and ease of access, providing a hassle-free experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Franklin Grove, IL
We offer competitive pricing structures and fast turnaround times, ensuring our hair follicle testing provides excellent value. This efficiency and affordability provide peace of mind, supporting businesses of varying sizes in making timely and cost-effective testing decisions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Franklin Grove, IL
Hair follicle drug tests provide rapid and precise outcomes, delivering results that clients can trust. The method is celebrated for its high level of accuracy, leaving no doubt about the results. This ensures that individuals and organizations alike can make informed decisions based on clear and reliable data.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Franklin Grove, IL
Implementing hair follicle tests is a proactive step in maintaining workplace integrity and safety. Employers benefit from assured compliance with drug-free workplace policies, which in turn reduces legal liabilities and promotes a secure and productive 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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