Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Silver Lake, MA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair provides a long-term record of alcohol and drug use by capturing biomarkers within the strands' fibers as they grow. When cut near the scalp, hair offers up to a 3-month detection period for alcohol and drugs. It is easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A hair sample of 1.5 inches with around 200 strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg, the perfect quantity for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, a sample weighing 150mg is advised. It's suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn’t an option, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it refers to scalp hair only. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning is the initial step where a sample is entered into the lab's system. It involves verifying the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary examination for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug usage for most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be valid in court. Any samples showing presumptive positives during Screening require further confirmation.

If a sample shows a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial sample for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are removed from hair at a significantly lower concentration than other methods (like urine or oral fluid), which is a reason hair drug testing is considered complex.

Confirmation of any positive result in Screening is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation as needed. The entire lab 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 period: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a shorter detection span.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is quite difficult, enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical data: It provides a pattern of drug use over time, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately after 5-7 days.
• Cost: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to other testing methods.
• Result variations: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Though often called "hair follicle tests," the test analyzes the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Silver Lake, MA, hair follicle testing is often seen as a superior method compared to traditional urine screening. The extended detection period and increased accuracy offer undeniable advantages. Hair tests capture a broader snapshot of substance use patterns, making them almost impossible to circumvent. This results in a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's drug history, minimizing unreliable outcomes.

Extended Detection Window

In Silver Lake, MA, hair follicle testing reveals drug use over an extended 90-day window. This is crucial for employers seeking a clear view of an individual's substance history. The long detection timeline uncovers past consumption, providing invaluable insights into an employee or candidate's drug-use habits, enabling informed decisions and promoting a safer workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Silver Lake, MA nearly eliminate the risk of tampering. Due to the test's nature, samples are difficult to alter, ensuring trustworthiness. This method secures reliable outcomes, offering peace of mind with its resistant design against manipulation or substitution, helping maintain integrity throughout the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing facilities across Silver Lake, MA and nationwide, Accredited Drug Testing provides convenient access to hair follicle testing. This wide-reaching network simplifies the testing process by offering local options that save time and cut hassles, accommodating individuals or businesses needing easy access to professional testing services.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process in Silver Lake, MA is both straightforward and discreet, emphasizing confidentiality at every step. Clients can order, partake in the test, and receive results with ease, assuaging privacy concerns. This low-complexity, secure method ensures clients’ comfort while maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing presents competitive pricing in Silver Lake, MA, along with swift turnaround times. These factors provide significant value to organizations both large and small. Our service guarantees an excellent balance of cost-efficiency and expedited results, ensuring companies receive excellent service and results for their investment.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Silver Lake, MA, the effectiveness of hair follicle drug tests is unrivaled. These tests provide high accuracy in recognizing substance use, promptly delivering results. The precision of hair analysis means results you can rely on, making it a preferred choice for those needing quick and correct findings. Its capability to identify a broad spectrum of substances further emphasizes its dependability and efficiency.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Silver Lake, MA find peace of mind with hair follicle tests. These tests ensure adherence to drug-free workplace policies, decreasing legal liabilities. By facilitating a safer working environment, companies can maintain compliance while minimizing risks, thus strengthening their position on responsibility and safety for all employees.

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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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