Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug analyses in Langley Park, Maryland. If you're seeking a hair drug or alcohol assessment, Accredited Drug Testing focuses on hair methods, with facilities in cities Nationwide capable of conducting these tests. You generally need 1.5 to 2 inches of head or body hair. Hair tests can identify drugs, alcohol/ETG, or other tailored testing options.
Recently, drug testing methods increasingly favor hair follicle drug tests. Many employers, courts, and substance abuse professionals recommend hair drug tests over traditional urine assessments. Hair follicle drug tests are employed by zero-tolerance employers, courts, and probationary clients. The primary advantage includes a longer detection timeline of up to 90 days, with observed collection, making it difficult to tamper. However, urine tests remain more reliable for detecting recent drug usage within the last 5 days.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
Hair testing has emerged as a significant means for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair retains a detailed past record of drug and alcohol consumption by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer approximately a 3-month timespan for detecting drugs and alcohol. Hair sampling is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (about the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For tests involving EtG, additional analyses, and/or more than 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is suggested. Should scalp hair be unavailable, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. By ‘head hair,’ we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair pertains to all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary stages of laboratory processing for drug test results are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the initial intake of a sample into the laboratory's database. This process involves confirming that the sample was appropriately sealed and shipped, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any missing data entry not captured by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is an expedited procedure to check for the presence of drugs of abuse. Although Screening serves as a cost-effective strategy for eliminating drug use in the majority of samples, any detected positive results must be confirmed for legal validation. Samples that show a presumptive positive during Screening do require a follow-up confirmation.
If a sample tests presumptively positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is taken from the original specimen and prepared for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are isolated from hair at considerably lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug testing one of the most challenging methodologies to execute.
Confirmation of any positive results from Screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo a wash before confirmation when necessary. The full laboratory procedure from Accessioning through to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair accreditation and compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although sometimes labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Langley Park, MD sees hair follicle testing surpass traditional urine tests in many facets. With enhanced detection rates, hair tests reveal drug use that urine tests might miss, especially for habitual users. The detection window extends beyond urine tests, making hair tests ideal for recognizing long-term substance use patterns, thus promoting higher detection reliability and accuracy.
Key benefits:
Hair follicle testing in Langley Park, MD provides an extended detection window, covering up to 90 days of drug use. This gives employers a detailed insight into the substance use history of candidates or employees. Compared to shorter-term tests, this approach helps identify long-term patterns, promoting workplace safety by ensuring comprehensive screening.
Advantages include:
In Langley Park, MD, hair follicle testing significantly minimizes adulteration risks, ensuring result integrity. These tests deter attempts to alter the sample, as the collection process is observed, and hair samples are challenging to tamper with, thus offering reliable and unquestionable results for critical assessments in various sectors.
Key features:
Langley Park, MD offers convenience with numerous nationwide hair follicle testing centers, ensuring effortless testing access. With local facilities ready to cater to community needs, there's minimal hassle in securing necessary testing. Quick and easy access promotes timely assessments and aggregation of testing requirements for various purposes.
Key conveniences:
In Langley Park, MD, the hair follicle testing process prioritizes simplicity and confidentiality. From ordering to result acquisition, each step ensures privacy and confidentiality of personal information. The straightforward approach reduces complexities, catering to user concerns with a focus on maintaining a hassle-free testing experience.
Key process features:
Langley Park, MD provides competitive and affordable pricing for hair follicle testing alongside quick turnaround times, ensuring excellent value. This offering suits companies of all sizes, providing peace of mind with timely and cost-effective services for drug testing needs. Value is delivered through efficient and prompt result processing.
Key value points:
In Langley Park, MD, hair follicle drug tests offer quick, precise, and dependable outcomes. These tests enhance detection accuracy by analyzing a wider timeline of substance use. Hair testing's streamlined process ensures minimal waiting periods while maintaining a high level of result accuracy, which employers and agencies trust for critical decisions on substance use.
Benefits include:
Employers in Langley Park, MD benefit from hair follicle testing by promoting a drug-free workplace while maintaining policy compliance. This method helps reduce legal risks and ensures a safer work environment. By choosing hair testing, businesses enhance the reliability of their substance use checks, leading to reduced incidents and a focus on worker safety.
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