Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Berkley, MA

What it is, How it works

Hair assessment is now recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair holds a prolonged timeline of alcohol and drugs, capturing biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as they grow. When taken near to the scalp, the sample can offer a drug and alcohol detection window up to roughly three months. Hair samples are easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to mail.

A 1.5-inch segment entailing roughly 200 hair strands (nearly the girth of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, deemed ideal for screening and confirmation. For tests like EtG, add-ons, or when exceeding 10 panel tests, 150mg of sample is recommended. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. When referencing head hair, we mean scalp hair strictly. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug test laboratory process comprises four core steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial integration of a specimen into the lab’s system. It ensures the sample’s proper sealing and shipment, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening delivers a speedy preliminary assessment for substances of abuse. While it offers a cost-effective means to exclude drug use in most cases, a positive outcome demands confirmation to be legally defensible. Any specimens showing presumptive positives during Screening necessitate further confirmation.

If a sample reflects a presumptively positive result at the Screening step, additional hair is sourced from the original sample and processed for Extraction. This step involves extracting drugs from hair at lower concentrations relative to other methods (like urine or oral fluid), marking hair drug screening as the most complex methodology.

Positive screening confirmations are executed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are cleaned prior to confirmation where needed. The full laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review following the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair protocol along with ISO / IEC 17025 standard accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection period: Hair drug assessments can trace drug use for as long as 90 days, unlike urine tests, which provide a shorter detection span.
• Difficulty to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test proves notably challenging, thus ensuring more reliable outcomes.
• Supply of historical insights: It reveals a timeline of drug consumption over time, not limited to recent use.

Limitations:

• Unable to identify recent use: Drugs need 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing often incurs a higher cost than alternative drug testing approaches.
• Result variability: Variables like hair color or unique hair growth differences can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Despite being labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis occurs on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing stands out against traditional urine testing in Berkley, MA due to its superior detection accuracy. Unlike urine tests that primarily reveal recent drug use, hair tests provide insights into long-term patterns, making them more reliable for thorough assessments. Employers favor this method for its precision and comprehensive results.

Extended Detection Window

The Extended Detection Window of hair follicle testing in Berkley, MA is a major advantage for employers. It can trace drug use for up to 90 days, offering a broad overview of an individual's substance habits. This long-term detection is invaluable for understanding the applicant or employee's past use, ensuring informed decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests are highly tamper-resistant, a key advantage in Berkley, MA. The testing method minimizes the potential for sample adulteration, ensuring that the results are reliable and unquestionable. This added layer of security makes it difficult for individuals to cheat the test, maintaining the integrity of the screening process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations are available in Berkley, MA, ensuring easy access to hair follicle testing. Our widespread network of centers allows individuals to find local and hassle-free testing options, streamlining the process for communities nationwide and providing quick and efficient service at all times.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Berkley, MA is Simple and Confidential. From ordering to receiving results, each step is designed to prioritize user privacy and ease of use. Clear instructions and support are provided throughout, ensuring users feel secure and informed while maintaining discretion throughout the testing experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

We offer Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround for hair follicle tests in Berkley, MA. Our competitive pricing structures and speedy result delivery ensure that companies, regardless of size, receive excellent value. This allows for effective planning and quick implementation of necessary measures when results are received.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast and Reliable Results are key when it comes to hair follicle drug tests in Berkley, MA. These tests are highly precise, offering quick insights into substance use history. Their accuracy ensures any detection of drugs is trustworthy, making them a preferred choice among employers and organizations seeking fast resolutions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Berkley, MA gain Compliance and Peace of Mind through hair follicle testing. It aids in upholding drug-free workplace policies, which in turn reduces potential legal risks. This testing method enhances safety by ensuring that employees are adhering to the established guidelines, contributing to a more secure work 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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