Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Riverdale, KS

What it is, How it works

Hair assessments are increasingly recognized as a valuable means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands capture and hold biomarkers, offering an extended record of alcohol and drug usage. When sourced near the scalp, hair can reveal a usage detection period extending up to around three months for alcohol and various substances. Hair is straightforward to gather, not easily tampered with, and convenient for shipping.

A 1.5-inch portion consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil’s thickness) near the scalp will yield 100mg, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, suggesting 150mg of hair is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for accurate measurement of the hair sample. In cases where scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent quantity of body hair is an option. ‘Head hair’ refers specifically to scalp hair, whereas ‘body hair’ includes all other types like facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

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

Accessioning is the first step, where a sample is processed into the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample is sealed and shipped correctly, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes extra data entry if absent from an electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening serves as a preliminary evaluation for substance abuse. While cost-efficient for dismissing drug use on most samples, a positive screening needs verification to be court-acceptable. Samples testing presumptively positive in the Screening phase require subsequent confirmation.

For samples testing positive in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for the Extraction stage. Here, drugs are separated from hair at significantly lower concentrations than found in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing a more challenging methodology.

Confirmation for any positively screened result uses GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Any samples that test presumptively positive are cleansed before confirmation as required. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to stringent oversight under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests identify drug use tracing back 90 days, whereas urine tests offer a shorter window.
• Hard to evade: Deceiving a hair drug test presents significant challenges, ensuring result integrity.
• Depicts usage over time: Unlike other tests, it maps drug usage patterns historically, not just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent intake: Drugs need approximately 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests cost more compared to other testing approaches.
• Result variability: Result consistency can be affected by variables such as hair hue and personal differences in hair growth.

Note: Despite the widespread term "hair follicle tests", this test specifically analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing holds distinct advantages over urine tests in Riverdale, KS. It offers higher detection rates and superior reliability, capturing long-term drug use more effectively.

Urine tests may detect recent consumption but fall short on providing a prolonged history. Hair tests excel in this, offering a more comprehensive overview, leading many in Riverdale to trust their accuracy and dependability.

Extended Detection Window

One of the key benefits of hair follicle testing in Riverdale, KS is its extended detection window. Hair testing can expose drug use up to 90 days prior, allowing for a full view of a person's substance use history.

Employers in Riverdale find this particularly valuable as it provides insight beyond recent drug intake, ensuring a thorough assessment of employees or applicants, maintaining a safe work environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Riverdale, KS, hair follicle tests significantly mitigate the risk of tampering. Unlike other testing methods, it's exceedingly challenging to alter the outcomes, ensuring authenticity.

This inherent resistance to falsification makes hair tests a reliable option for those seeking unquestionable drug testing results in Riverdale.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

The convenience of having testing centers nationwide, including local sites in Riverdale, KS, ensures easy access to necessary services. Accredited Drug Testing facilitates swift and hassle-free procedures.

This broad network means those in Riverdale can benefit from the flexibility and promptness of hair follicle testing without unnecessary travel or delays.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our process in Riverdale, KS is straightforward and confidential. Ordering, completing, and receiving results of hair follicle tests are designed with ease and privacy in mind.

Customers worry less knowing their information is secure, and the simplicity of the procedure guarantees a worry-free experience from start to finish.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

We offer competitive pricing in Riverdale, KS, coupled with fast turnaround times. This combination provides exceptional value for companies seeking reliable drug testing solutions.

Our affordability does not compromise quality, ensuring that businesses of various sizes can access necessary tests with confidence in both cost and efficiency.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Riverdale, KS, hair follicle drug testing stands out due to its rapid and precise results. Compared to other methods, it boasts heightened accuracy, ensuring substance detection is both swift and reliable.

The meticulous process behind hair testing guarantees that results don't just arrive faster; they encompass unmatched precision. This speed and accuracy make it a preferred choice in Riverdale, ensuring that substance use is effectively monitored.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle testing in Riverdale, KS aligns with drug-free workplace policies. Employers gain peace of mind knowing they adhere to compliance standards, fostering a safer environment.

This method aids businesses in mitigating legal concerns, offering confidence in their commitment to maintaining a drug-free setting, which bolsters overall workplace security.

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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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