Hair Follicle Drug Testing - South Glastonbury, MT

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands capture biomarkers within the fibers as they grow, providing a historical record of substance use. When sourced near the scalp, hair can offer a detection period of up to three months for drugs and alcohol. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's thickness) taken nearest to the scalp is needed to collect 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation purposes. For EtG, supplementary tests, or assessments exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We suggest weighing the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't accessible, a similar amount of body hair can be taken. By head hair, we mean only scalp hair, while body hair includes all other varieties (facial, underarm, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of drug test results includes four critical steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves processing a specimen within a lab's framework. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and sent, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any pending data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening acts as a preliminary drug check. Though Screening is a cost-efficient means to eliminate drug use in many cases, any positive finding requires confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples displaying presumptive positivity in Screening mandate further confirmation.

Samples presumed positive during Screening proceed to Extraction, where drugs are retrieved at lower concentrations than in methods like urine or saliva testing, making hair drug screening notably challenging.

Confirmation for any positive Screening results is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptive positives undergo a wash if necessary. The entire transition from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and complies with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests record drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urinalysis with a narrower detection period.
• Difficult to manipulate: The challenge of falsifying a hair drug test ensures more trustworthy outcomes.
• Chronological data provision: It can illustrate a timeline of drug consumption, beyond just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Inability to indicate recent usage: Detection in hair requires nearly 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically carry a higher price tag compared to alternative testing approaches.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth disparities can influence drug metabolite concentrations.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests", the examination targets the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in South Glastonbury, MT

Hair follicle testing offers numerous benefits over traditional urine tests. It provides a longer detection period and is much harder to manipulate, ensuring superior accuracy and reliability. Unlike urine tests that detect recent drug use, hair tests offer insights into long-term use, making them a better choice for employers aiming to maintain a drug-free environment.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in South Glastonbury, MT

Hair follicle tests offer an extended detection window, covering up to 90 days of drug use history. This capability provides employers with a comprehensive view of an individual's substance use over time, enabling informed decision-making. Such thoroughness makes hair testing particularly valuable in roles requiring constant vigilance and responsibility.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in South Glastonbury, MT

Unlike other methods, hair follicle tests are highly resistant to tampering, ensuring reliable and unquestionable results. This aspect significantly reduces the risk of sample adulteration, providing peace of mind that results accurately reflect an individual's substance use habits, essential for maintaining integrity in high-stakes environments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in South Glastonbury, MT

With testing centers available nationwide, including in South Glastonbury, Accredited Drug Testing ensures easy and efficient access to services. This convenience allows individuals and businesses to undertake necessary testing without stress, streamlining the process from scheduling to result retrieval.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in South Glastonbury, MT

Hair follicle testing offers a straightforward and confidential procedure, from ordering to result delivery. This simplicity addresses concerns about privacy and ease of use, making it an ideal testing option for those seeking discretion without compromising on accuracy and reliability.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in South Glastonbury, MT

Accredited Drug Testing provides competitive pricing and quick turnaround times for hair follicle testing. This combination offers great value for businesses of all sizes, ensuring efficient testing procedures without breaking the bank, alongside rapid result delivery to maintain operational effectiveness.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in South Glastonbury, MT

Hair follicle drug tests offer unmatched precision and speed, delivering high accuracy in substance use detection. The method is efficient, making it a preferred choice for timely results. As businesses in South Glastonbury look for dependable testing solutions, the consistency and speed of hair testing stand out as significant advantages.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in South Glastonbury, MT

Employers benefit from hair follicle testing for its alignment with drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal risk and enhancing safety. The method's reliability assures businesses of compliance, while extended detection periods support long-term employee assessments, contributing to a secure work setting.

Drug Testing Near South Glastonbury, MT

Bozeman, MT

Montana City, MT

Park City, MT

Livingston, MT

Gallatin Gateway, MT

Wineglass, MT

Upper Yellowstone Valley, MT

Gardiner-Cooke City, MT

Jardine, MT

Gardiner, MT

Corwin Springs, MT

Miner, MT

Pray, MT

Chico Hot Springs, MT

Emigrant, MT

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews