Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Meadowbrook, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is widely regarded as an effective resource for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a historical record of alcohol and other substances by capturing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken from near the scalp, hair can offer up to a three-month timespan for detecting alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, not easily tampered with, and is convenient for shipping.

A 1.5-inch section of roughly 200 hair strands (around the thickness of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, ideal for tests requiring screening and confirmation. For EtG, extra tests, or more than 10-panel tests, a 150mg sample is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If scalp hair isn’t available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. When we mention head hair, we mean scalp hair strictly. Body hair refers to all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory workflow for processing drug test outcomes involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning covers the initial handling of a sample within a lab’s system. This process ensures the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any additional data not included in an electronic chain of custody.

Screening serves as a preliminary check for substances of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient method to eliminate most drug usage cases, a positive result must be verified for legal standing in a court. Samples that test positive in Screening undergo further confirmation.

Should a sample test positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is drawn from the sample and prepped for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at a lower concentration than used in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening.

Confirmation of any screening test positivity is carried out via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. All presumptive positives are cleaned prior to confirmation if necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning through Confirmation undergoes review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) for Hair criteria and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a briefer detection span.
• Difficult to falsify: Hair drug tests are hard to deceive, thereby enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical insights: It provides patterns of drug use over time, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of recent detection: Drugs typically need 5-7 days to become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing tends to be more costly than other testing types.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: Despite being often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis is performed on the hair strand, not the scalp’s hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing testing methods in Meadowbrook, IL, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing in several areas. Hair testing offers a longer detection duration and is less susceptible to tampering, providing a more reliable outcome. These qualities ensure that hair tests outperform traditional urine testing, presenting clear advantages in accuracy and reliability.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in Meadowbrook, IL, prioritize the extended detection window of hair follicle testing, which accurately identifies drug use for up to 90 days. This prolonged coverage ensures businesses obtain comprehensive insight into substance behaviors, essential for maintaining a safe and responsible workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle testing in Meadowbrook, IL, eliminates concerns over sample integrity. By significantly reducing tampering opportunities, this method ensures trustworthy results, offering organizations and individuals a reliable approach to substance monitoring.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Conveniently scattered nationwide and locally in Meadowbrook, IL, our testing centers guarantee accessible and efficient services. With testing sites readily available, individuals experience swift, stress-free testing processes, establishing a conducive way to manage required testing needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our commitment to a simple, confidential process in Meadowbrook, IL, ensures ease and privacy in ordering, participation, and result retrieval. Addressing potential confidentiality concerns, this streamlined method simplifies drug testing, enhancing user experience with a focus on discretion.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Meadowbrook, IL offers affordable pricing and fast turnaround on hair follicle tests, making it an attractive option for businesses. Competitive rates and timely results provide companies both value and reassurance, accommodating various budgets while ensuring a comprehensive drug testing protocol.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Meadowbrook, IL, hair follicle testing stands out for its fast, accurate, and reliable results. This method provides reliable insights into substance use, offering employers confident hiring and monitoring strategies. The precision of hair analysis ensures thorough detection and peace of mind, reflecting a high standard of accuracy unmatched by other methods.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Implementing hair follicle testing in Meadowbrook, IL, grants companies compliance and peace of mind, aligning with drug-free policies and reducing legal liabilities. This method enhances safety standards and ensures adherence to workplace regulations, fostering a secure professional 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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