Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Walkerville, MI

What it is, How it works

Hair screening is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended history of substance use by capturing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When gathered near the scalp, it provides nearly a 3-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. The collection process is straightforward, making it hard to tamper with and easy to transport.

Collecting a 1.5-inch segment from about 200 hair strands (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg—ideal for both screening and confirming tests. For EtG and extended tests beyond 10 panels, it's recommended to use 150mg. We suggest measuring the sample on a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable amount of body hair can be used. References to head hair specifically mean scalp hair, while body hair includes other types like facial and axillary hair.

Process Overview

There are four primary phases in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

In Accessioning, samples are initially processed into the laboratory's system, ensuring they were sealed and shipped accurately, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishing any extra data entry missing from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial rapid check for drugs. While it's a cost-efficient method to rule out drug intake for most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to stand in court. Any samples that test positive in Screening need a secondary confirmation.

If a sample shows presumptive positivity during Screening, more hair is taken from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. Drugs at this stage are extracted at a lower concentration than in other methods like urine or oral fluid, which makes hair drug testing the most challenging method to perform.

Confirmation of a positive Screening is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation if necessary. The full lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter timeframe.
• Hard to falsify: Cheating a hair drug test is very difficult, making the results highly reliable.
• Shows usage patterns: It reveals a historical pattern of drug consumption, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: Drugs take about 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are usually pricier than other testing methods.
• Result variations: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although sometimes called "hair follicle tests", the actual analysis is done on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Walkerville, MI, hair follicle testing demonstrates clear advantages over traditional urine testing. Its improved detection accuracy and reliability offer a more comprehensive assessment of an individual's substance use.
Such tests capture a robust timeline of drug consumption, ensuring that employers receive reliable and actionable information.

Extended Detection Window

Utilizing hair follicle tests in Walkerville, MI, presents an extended detection window, unveiling up to 90 days of substance history. This broad timespan allows employers to obtain a thorough understanding of an employee's or candidate's drug use over recent months.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Walkerville, MI, offer a robust protection against tampering, reducing the risk of sample adulteration. This method delivers results that are both reliable and unquestionable, safeguarding the integrity of the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With numerous nationwide centers, as well as local facilities in Walkerville, MI, testing becomes a hassle-free experience.
This convenience ensures quick and easy access to drug testing services, streamlining the process for both individuals and businesses alike.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Walkerville, MI, our drug testing process is designed for simplicity and confidentiality. From ordering to receiving results, we ensure privacy at every step, addressing any privacy concerns and ensuring ease of use for all clients involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Walkerville, MI, offers hair follicle testing with competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times. Providing excellent value for businesses of all sizes, companies can access affordable testing solutions without compromising quality.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Walkerville, MI, hair follicle drug testing stands out for its precision and swift outcomes. With improved detection capabilities, these tests provide a higher degree of accuracy in identifying substance use.
The method ensures results that are both fast and reliable, offering peace of mind to employers and professionals alike.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Walkerville, MI, benefit from compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing.
By adhering to drug-free workplace policies, potential legal risks are minimized, and workplace safety is enhanced, ensuring a productive and secure environment for all.

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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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