Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Hanover, NM

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a robust resource for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended history of alcohol and drugs by encapsulating biomarkers within its fibers during growth. Collected from close to the scalp, it provides up to a roughly 3-month window for detecting alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to gather, relatively hard to tamper with, and straightforward to send.

A 1.5-inch portion of about 200 hair strands (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp provides approximately 100mg of hair, which is the ideal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or testing beyond 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. We advise using a jeweler’s scale for measuring the specimen. If scalp hair is not accessible, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. By head hair, we mean scalp hair only, whereas body hair denotes all other types (like facial, axillary, and others).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning covers the initial processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and transported, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and handles any further data entry not provided via an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary quick check for recognizable drugs. While Screening is cost-effective for ruling out drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed for court admissibility. Any samples showing presumptive positivity in Screening need secondary confirmation.

In case of a presumptive positive at the Screening stage, more hair is extracted from the initial sample for the Extraction stage. Drugs are extracted from hair at a much lesser concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), indicating why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology.

Confirmation of any positive screen result is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS technologies. All presumptively positive samples undergo washing as required before confirmation. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can expose drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a shorter span.
• Hard to manipulate: It's challenging to deceive a hair drug test, which enhances accuracy.
• Offers historical insight: It shows a pattern of drug usage over time, not just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent usage: It typically takes 5-7 days for drugs to show up in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than other drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and individual growth differences can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Although commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Hanover, NM

Compared to traditional urine tests, hair follicle testing in Hanover offers unrivaled detection accuracy and dependability. Employers benefit from an advanced, comprehensive view of an applicant's substance history with extended window periods, showcasing its superiority over urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Hanover, NM

Hair follicle testing provides an extensive detection window, spanning up to 90 days. For Hanover employers, this means a detailed understanding of an individual's substance habits, contributing to more informed hiring decisions and workplace safety.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Hanover, NM

Hair follicle tests drastically reduce the chance of sample tampering, delivering trustworthy, irrefutable outcomes. This secure method ensures the integrity of the test results, minimizing the risk of evasion tactics by those undergoing testing.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Hanover, NM

Accredited Drug Testing offers extensive accessibility through its nationwide centers, ensuring Hanover residents have seamless access to testing services. These convenient locations offer a hassle-free experience, eliminating logistical challenges for users.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Hanover, NM

The process for acquiring, completing, and receiving results from hair follicle tests in Hanover is straightforward and discreet. Addressing privacy concerns, this service ensures confidentiality and convenience for users pursuing testing.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Hanover, NM

Competitive pricing and swift results define hair follicle testing services in Hanover. Businesses of varying sizes can access cost-effective options with rapid response times, ensuring excellent value and peace of mind.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Hanover, NM

Hair follicle drug testing in Hanover is renowned for its precision and swiftness. With its high accuracy, it ensures meticulous detection of substances, offering reliable results. This method guarantees rapid disclosure of substance use, proving to be incredibly effective.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Hanover, NM

Adopting hair follicle testing in Hanover facilitates adherence to drug-free workplace policies, cutting down legal liabilities and boosting workplace safety. This practice provides employers with reassurance and confidence in maintaining a compliant work 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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