Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Los Luceros, NM

What it is, How it works

The perception of hair testing has evolved into a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a comprehensive record of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of its growing strands. When obtained near the scalp, hair offers an approximately three-month span for detecting alcohol and drugs. Hair samples are straightforward to collect, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A segment of hair measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of roughly 200 strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) located nearest to the scalp, yields 100mg, which is considered the optimal quantity for analysis and verification. For EtG, additional analyses, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is preferred. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen is advised. In the absence of scalp hair, a proportional amount of body hair may be utilized. References to head hair imply exclusively scalp hair, whereas body hair pertains to all other hair categories (facial, axillary, etc.).

Overview of the Process

The procedural workflow of processing a drug test result in a laboratory consists of four essential stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails incorporating a sample into the laboratory system at the outset. This process verifies proper sealing and transportation of the sample, allocates a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and concludes any supplementary data entry absent from the electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening entails a preliminary assessment for drug abuse. While Screening provides a cost-effective approach to exclude drug presence in most samples, a positive result mandates confirmation for legal credibility. Samples with a tentative positive reading during Screening necessitate further verification.

In the event of a tentative positive during Screening, additional hair is drawn from the original sample and arranged for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at a significantly lower concentration than alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), emphasizing the complexity of hair drug testing.

Verification of any positive result from Screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Every presumptive positive sample is subject to cleansing before confirmation as necessary. The comprehensive laboratory procedure, spanning from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter detection durations.
• Resistance to deception: Hair drug tests are challenging to falsify, ensuring higher accuracy.
• Reveals usage trends: They uncover drug use patterns over time, beyond recent consumption.

Drawbacks:

• Inability to detect recent intake: Detectability in hair develops over approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth differences impact drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Though commonly labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on hair strands, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Los Luceros, NM, surpasses urine tests by providing enhanced accuracy and reliability. Unlike traditional urine tests, hair testing offers a superior detection range and a more consistent identification of substance use. Employers and agencies can depend on this method for detecting drug or alcohol consumption.
Hair tests eliminate the weaknesses inherent in urine tests, making them an essential tool for accurate drug screening.

Extended Detection Window

The hair follicle testing available in Los Luceros, NM, offers an extended detection window, capturing drug use over a period of up to 90 days. This far exceeds the capabilities of traditional tests and gives employers a more complete picture of an employee's or candidate's substance habits.
Thus, choosing hair testing is pivotal for understanding long-term patterns and ensuring a drug-free environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Los Luceros, NM, hair follicle drug tests are designed to significantly reduce the possibility of sample tampering, yielding dependable outcomes that are hard to dispute. The controlled collection process specifies observation to inhibit adulteration attempts, vital for ensuring test integrity and reliability.
This makes hair tests a robust alternative in anti-drug operations.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing provides widespread access with its convenient testing centers across the nation, including local sites in Los Luceros, NM. This network ensures quick and hassle-free testing experiences for clients.
It's simple to schedule and undergo tests, leveraging accessibility for seamless substance testing solutions.

Simple, Confidential Process

At Accredited Drug Testing in Los Luceros, NM, the hair follicle testing process is straightforward and confidential. Effortless ordering, testing, and results retrieval are ensured through discreet procedures, prioritizing participant privacy.
Our streamlined approach emphasizes ease of use, reinforcing trust in our professional services.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our hair testing services in Los Luceros, NM, are competitively priced and offer rapid turnaround times, providing tremendous value to businesses. This affordability ensures that companies of any size can implement testing without financial strain.
We balance cost-effectiveness with efficiency, delivering reassuring results promptly.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Los Luceros, NM, hair follicle drug tests stand out for providing fast and reliable results, making them a top choice. Their precision in detecting substance use ensures high accuracy, limiting any chances of erroneous results.
With their swift processing times, these tests quickly offer accurate insights into an individual's drug history.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employing hair follicle testing in Los Luceros, NM, offers compliance with workplace anti-drug policies, fostering peace of mind by minimizing legal risks. This method strengthens workplace safety while ensuring that organizations adhere to regulatory standards.
It presents a secure path to safeguarding business interests and 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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