Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Garfield, NJ

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is widely recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a detailed long-term record of alcohol and drug use by entrapping biomarkers in the fibers of the growing strand. When obtained close to the scalp, hair can offer up to a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. It is easy to collect, quite resistant to tampering, and straightforward to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches comprising about 200 hair strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a specimen of 150mg is advised. It is suggested to use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair is not accessible, a similar quantity of body hair can be collected. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, and so on).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning involves the initial integration of a sample into the laboratory's system. This entails verifying the correct sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any further data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening is a preliminary rapid test for drugs of abuse. Despite being a cost-effective mechanism for excluding drug use in most samples, a positive result from the Screening must be verified to be valid in legal proceedings. Any samples testing presumptively positive in Screening require additional confirmation.

For samples showing presumptive positivity during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and prepared for Extraction. Drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), contributing to the complexity of hair drug screening.

Positive screening outcomes are confirmed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all samples with presumptive positivity are cleansed as needed. Every stage of the laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and is ISO / IEC 17025 accredited.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a shorter detection period.
• Challenging to deceive: Hair drug tests are very difficult to tamper with, enhancing the accuracy of the results.
• Historical data provision: It offers a track record of drug usage patterns over time rather than just recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-use.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically pricier than other drug testing techniques.
• Result inconsistencies: Variables like hair color and individual hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite concentrations in the hair.

Note: Often termed as "hair follicle tests", it is the hair strand that is analyzed, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Garfield, NJ, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing due to its Superior Detection Accuracy. Unlike traditional urine tests, hair tests can provide a broader overview of substance use patterns. Reliable Results are ensured with hair tests, minimizing the risk of sample adulteration and yielding consistent outcomes.

Employers and agencies selecting hair follicle testing benefit from Enhanced Reliability over extended periods, offering a more comprehensive picture of an individual’s drug usage history than standard urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

In Garfield, NJ, the hair follicle testing method provides a significantly Extended Detection Window, capturing drug use history up to 90 Days prior to the test. This capability offers employers a detailed view of an individual’s substance use, allowing for a thorough understanding of past behaviors.

With its Longer Duration of Detection, hair testing ensures a broader timespan analysis, making it ideal for employers seeking a comprehensive assessment of employee or applicant drug usage history.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The hair follicle drug testing method in Garfield, NJ is highly regarded for being Tamper-Resistant. By significantly minimizing the potential for adulteration, hair tests provide reliable and uncontaminated results, making them an excellent choice for accuracy and authenticity.

The method’s Integrity ensures that results are nearly impossible to manipulate, offering peace of mind to employers and agencies requiring dependable drug testing solutions.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Garfield, NJ, and beyond, the convenience of Nationwide Testing Locations streamlines the drug testing process. Our easily accessible centers ensure a Hassle-Free Experience, whether locally or across the country.

Ensuring quick and easy access to testing services, our numerous facilities provide flexibility for individuals and employers, resulting in an efficient collection and testing process.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Garfield, NJ, the hair follicle testing process is Simple and Confidential. Ordering, taking the test, and receiving results is streamlined to ensure ease of use and safeguard privacy. This approach addresses Concerns of Privacy while maintaining user-friendly procedures and efficient results delivery.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering Affordable Pricing in Garfield, NJ, hair follicle testing services provide excellent value for businesses of any size. Our competitive pricing structure is designed to offer Fast Turnaround times, ensuring employers receive reliable data swiftly and cost-effectively.

The strategic pricing model reinforces a commitment to quality service, balancing cost efficiency with rapid results for ultimate employer satisfaction.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Garfield, NJ deliver fast, precise, and dependable results. High Accuracy is their hallmark, as they can detect a wide range of substances with exceptional precision. Speed of Results is another key advantage, providing test outcomes swiftly and efficiently, ensuring timely decision-making.

Reliable Detection makes hair testing a solid choice for identifying substance use, offering an edge over other methodologies in terms of precision and reliability.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Garfield, NJ gain Compliance and Peace of Mind by implementing hair follicle testing, ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace policies. This practice aids in reducing Legal Risks while enhancing overall workplace safety.

Utilizing hair testing technology fortifies policy compliance, thereby bolstering employer confidence in maintaining a drug-free environment.

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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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