Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Bargersville, IN

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a historical record of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When gathered from near the scalp, hair offers a detection timeframe of roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Collection is straightforward, tampering is challenging, and shipping is convenient.

A 1.5-inch segment comprising approximately 200 hairs (equivalent to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp yields 100mg, the optimal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG cases, extra add-ons, or screens beyond 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is preferred. It's advisable to use a jeweler’s scale for specimen measurement. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair should be collected. "Head hair" strictly denotes scalp hair, whereas "body hair" encompasses other varieties (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory drug test result process comprises four principal stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the preliminary incorporation of a specimen into a lab's system. This entails confirming proper sealing and shipping, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any missing data not automated by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening serves as an initial rapid assessment for drug misuse. Although Screening is a budget-friendly approach to discard drug use in most samples, a positive outcome must receive confirmation for court acceptability. Any samples testing preliminarily positive require additional confirmation.

Should a sample test presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for Processing in the Extraction phase. Drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging procedure.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed prior to confirmation as needed. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection span: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use for up to 90 days, which is longer than the window for urine tests.
• High resistance to tampering: Cheating a hair drug test is immensely difficult, thus ensuring more reliable results.
• Chronological data provision: It offers insight into drug use patterns over an extended period, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect immediate use: Drug presence in hair becomes identifiable only after approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically more costly than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence metabolite concentrations within hair strands.

Note: Although commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the examination actually assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair and urine testing in Bargersville, IN, hair tests offer clear advantages. They demonstrate superior accuracy and reliability in substance detection.

Advantages Over Urine Tests With a hair test, the range for detection far surpasses that of urine, providing trustworthy, long-term insights into an individual's substance use.

Extended Detection Window

In Bargersville, IN, hair follicle drug testing extends the detection window for substance use up to 90 days, surpassing the limitations of shorter-term tests.

Extensive Detection Range This extended insight allows employers to assess a more comprehensive view of an individual's substance use history, aiding in informed decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Bargersville, IN, provides a tamper-resistant method, protecting the integrity of the samples.

Reducing Adulteration Risks The structure and collection process of hair testing reduce opportunities for sample tampering, ensuring trustworthy results that are difficult to dispute.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient testing centers nationally and in Bargersville, IN, access to hair follicle testing is seamless and straightforward.

Accessible Testing Our testing locations are strategically placed to offer quick, hassle-free services for individuals and organizations alike.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our hair follicle testing process in Bargersville, IN, is both simple and confidential, prioritizing user privacy and ease from ordering to receiving results.

Streamlined Experience The straightforward procedures ensure clients' concerns about confidentiality and convenience are addressed effectively.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing and quick turnarounds in Bargersville, IN, our hair follicle testing services provide excellent value for companies of all sizes.

Value and Efficiency Competitive pricing structures and fast processing times ensure businesses receive prompt, cost-effective testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug testing in Bargersville, IN, is renowned for its speed and precision. Offering fast yet highly accurate results, it detects substance use efficiently.

Why Choose Hair Testing? Hair tests provide quick, reliable outcomes, ensuring the timely processing of data critical for decision-making, making it a preferred option.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing supports workplace compliance and safety in Bargersville, IN, by minimizing legal risks associated with employee substance use.

Employer Assurance By adhering to drug-free workplace policies through hair testing, businesses can enhance safety standards and reduce potential liabilities.

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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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