Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Coe, IN

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a historical record of alcohol and drug use by trapping biomarkers within the hair fibers as they grow. When samples are collected near the scalp, hair offers an approximate 3-month detection period for drugs and alcohol. Hair is easy to gather, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) from the scalp yields 100mg, the preferred amount for testing and validation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair is not available, a corresponding quantity of body hair can be taken. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to hair on the scalp. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (such as facial or underarm hair).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning includes the preliminary processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This process ensures that the sample is sealed, shipped correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and concludes any necessary data entry not managed by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a preliminary assessment for substances of abuse. While Screening is an economical method to indicate potential drug use in most samples, a positive screening result must be validated to be legally viable. Presumptively positive samples during Screening require confirmatory testing.

If a sample shows presumptive positivity at the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for the Extraction phase. Drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing a challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All samples showing presumptive positivity are washed prior to confirmation if necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use over a 90-day span, whereas urine tests cover a shorter timeframe.
• Increased difficulty to compromise: Tampering with a hair drug test is extremely challenging, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical use data: Provides an ongoing drug use pattern over time rather than merely capturing recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent drug use: Drugs become detectable in hair only after approximately 5-7 days.
• Higher costs: Hair drug testing is generally more costly compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Variability in outcomes: Elements like hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentration in the hair.

Note: While known as "hair follicle tests", the test indeed analyzes the hair shaft, not the follicle under the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Coe, IN, offers clear advantages over traditional urine tests. Boasting superior detection accuracy, hair tests identify substance use over extended periods. Reliability is enhanced with hair testing, which is preferred by employers and courts for its unparalleled accuracy and comprehensive view of substance history.

Extended Detection Window

With an extended detection window, hair follicle testing in Coe, IN, can trace drug use up to 90 days back, providing employers a full overview of substance history. This extensive timeframe ensures that any substance use does not go unnoticed, helping to maintain a drug-free work environment while offering a broader perspective on an individual's drug usage pattern.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing reduces the risk of sample tampering, offering a tamper-resistant approach to drug testing in Coe, IN. By using a direct collection process, it offers consistent and unquestionable results. This method enhances the integrity of testing outcomes, ensuring credible results that employers and authorities can trust.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient testing centers nationwide, including those in Coe, IN, our services provide easy access to hair follicle testing. These strategically placed locations offer hassle-free arrangements, ensuring quick and efficient procedures without undue effort, supporting quick access to the testing you need.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our hair follicle testing process in Coe, IN, is simple and confidential, addressing privacy concerns with ease. From ordering to receiving results, every step is streamlined and secure, ensuring participants' information remains protected throughout the process while achieving dependable outcomes with minimal hassle.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Featuring competitive pricing and fast turnaround, our hair follicle testing in Coe, IN, offers great value for businesses. Without sacrificing precision or speed, our services ensure a balance of affordability and quality, making it an excellent choice for companies aiming to maintain workplace safety efficiently and economically.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Emphasizing speed and precision, hair follicle drug testing in Coe, IN, provides fast and accurate results. High accuracy in identifying substance use makes hair tests an ideal choice for those seeking dependable outcomes. Ensuring a thorough capture of substance history, they outshine other testing methods in both reliability and quickness, offering peace of mind with their prompt delivery of results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle testing in Coe, IN, supports compliance with drug-free workplace policies. By reducing legal risks and promoting safety, it ensures employers maintain peace of mind. This method provides a safeguard for companies, meeting regulations and fostering a 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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