Hair Follicle Drug Testing - South Yarmouth, MA

What it is, How it works

Hair examinations have emerged as a formidable method for the identification of drug and alcohol use. Hair offers an extensive timeline of alcohol and drug history by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands of hair as they grow. When obtained close to the head, hair can offer nearly a 3-month detection window for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to gather, fairly challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to transport.

A 1.5-inch section consisting of about 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the ideal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or evaluations exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's suggested to measure the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not an option, the same quantity of body hair can be collected. When we mention head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair varieties (such as facial, axillary hair, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary steps involved in the laboratory processing of a drug test outcome: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the preliminary handling of a sample into the lab’s system. This process involves verifying the sample’s proper sealing and shipping, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any remaining data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial rapid test for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an economical way to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be valid in legal settings. All samples that test presumptively positive during Screening must undergo a secondary confirmation.

If a specimen tests presumptively positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are drawn from hair at a significantly lower concentration than in other methodologies (for example, urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug testing the most challenging methodology to implement.

Confirmation of any positive screening results is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation if required. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the whole laboratory procedure is conducted under the oversight of the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection range: Hair drug examinations can identify drug use for as long as 90 days, whereas urine tests have a shorter detection range.
• High reliability: Hair drug testing is more challenging to falsify, thereby increasing the accuracy of the results.
• Offers historical insight: Provides a continuous pattern of drug use over time, rather than just capturing recent activity.

Limitations:

• Cannot reveal recent usage: It requires around 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Higher costs: Hair drug evaluations are typically more costly than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the levels of drug metabolites found in hair.

Note: Although commonly referred to as "hair follicle tests," this test examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When evaluating drug testing methods in South Yarmouth, MA, hair follicle testing stands out. Compared to traditional urine testing, hair testing offers more accurate results with a broader detection timeframe. This makes it a preferred choice for organizations seeking reliable and comprehensive substance abuse assessments, demonstrating its superiority over urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in South Yarmouth, MA, outpaces other methods with its ability to reveal drug use over an extended period of up to 90 days. This broad detection window provides employers with a detailed view of a person’s substance use history, offering insights far beyond what short-term tests can deliver.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In South Yarmouth, MA, hair follicle tests are robust against tampering attempts, offering trustworthy and indisputable results. Their design makes it challenging to adulterate samples, unlike other testing methods where manipulation might be feasible. This reliability ensures peace of mind for all stakeholders involved.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing makes getting tested seamless with convenient locations throughout South Yarmouth, MA, and nationwide. Our easily accessible centers provide quick and hassle-free testing, ensuring you don’t waste time and effort while maintaining high-quality service at every step.

Simple, Confidential Process

We ensure the process of ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results in South Yarmouth, MA, remains simple and confidential. Our procedures prioritize your privacy and ease, creating a seamless experience that addresses any concerns about data security and process transparency.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing offers competitive pricing for hair follicle testing in South Yarmouth, MA, accompanied by fast turnaround times. Our services deliver excellent value, catering to businesses of all sizes while ensuring affordability and reliability without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In South Yarmouth, MA, the efficiency and reliability of hair follicle drug tests shine through. Their ability to provide rapid results alongside pinpoint accuracy makes them an ideal choice for detecting substance use. With hair tests, you gain insights into a longer timeline of substance consumption, ensuring that results are not only fast but also dependable.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle testing in South Yarmouth, MA, helps ensure compliance with drug-free workplace policies. By choosing reliable and effective testing solutions, employers can reduce legal risks and promote a safer work environment, providing peace of mind and confidence in their hiring practices.

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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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