Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Mikado, MI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is regarded as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. It offers an extended record of substance intake by capturing biomarkers within the hair's fibers as it grows. When clipped close to the scalp, hair can exhibit drug and alcohol usage over roughly a 3-month timeframe. Collection is straightforward, alteration is challenging, and shipping is uncomplicated.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches with roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the thickness of a #2 pencil) taken nearest the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is ideal for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional evaluations, and tests exceeding 10 panels, it is suggested to use 150mg of the sample. We recommend measuring the hair using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. When mentioning head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair includes all other varieties (like facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

During Accessioning, a sample is initially recorded into a laboratory’s system. This process entails verifying that the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishing any extra data input not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary rapid examination for substance misuse. While it is a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use in most samples, a confirmatory test is necessary to make a positive screening result admissible in legal settings. Consequently, samples flagged as positive in the Screening phase necessitate additional confirmation.

Should the Screening phase classify a sample as presumptively positive, additional hair is extracted from the original collection and readied for Extraction. Here, substances are isolated from hair at a lower concentration compared to other methods (such as urine or saliva), making hair drug screening the most challenging to execute.

Confirmation for any positive screening outcome is executed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples that are presumptively positive are cleansed prior to confirmation, as needed. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extensive detection timeframe: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection period.
• Resistance to tampering: Cheating a hair drug test is significantly challenging, ensuring more reliable outcomes.
• Shows usage history: It can reflect a drug use pattern over time rather than only recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent usage: Detection of drugs in hair takes about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests cost more compared to other drug testing methodologies.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair pigmentation and personal variation in hair growth can influence the levels of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Although commonly known as "hair follicle tests", they examine the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the skin.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Mikado, MI, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing due to its superior detection capabilities. This testing method provides a longer detection window and is more difficult to manipulate. Employers gain a clearer picture of an individual's drug use, improving workplace reliability and safety.

Extended Detection Window

In Mikado, MI, hair follicle testing offers a 90-day detection window, unlike any other drug screening method. This extended period provides employers with a comprehensive account of an individual's substance use history, helping make informed hiring decisions, ensuring a drug-free workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The hair follicle testing method in Mikado, MI, significantly minimizes the risk of sample tampering. Given its observed collection process, it is nearly impossible to alter. This ensures unquestionable reliability and accuracy in results, offering peace of mind with tamper-proof tests.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing centers located nationwide and conveniently in Mikado, MI, accessing our services is both easy and hassle-free. Nationwide reach provides reliable and quick testing services, ensuring companies can maintain their drug-free policies effectively and without delay.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our testing process in Mikado, MI, is both simple and confidential. From ordering to taking the test and receiving results, each step is designed with the privacy and comfort of the client in mind. Ensuring ease of use encourages greater compliance amongst employees.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Mikado, MI, we offer affordable pricing and fast turnaround times for hair follicle testing. Our competitive rates provide significant value for businesses, while the quick delivery of results ensures that companies can make timely and informed decisions based on the data provided.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug testing in Mikado, MI, offers fast and accurate results. This method is exceptional in detecting various substances with precision. Hair tests not only identify drug usage faster but also provide a reliable measure of drug use history, ensuring timely information for informed decisions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Mikado, MI, find complying with drug-free workplace policies easier with hair follicle testing. This method not only ensures policy compliance but also reduces legal risks associated with substance misuse. A safe and secure workplace environment fosters peace of mind for employers.

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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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