Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lucy, NM

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands encapsulate biomarkers within their fibers, offering a prolonged historical insight into alcohol and drug usage. When obtained near the scalp, hair provides a detection period of up to three months for these substances. It’s easy to acquire, relatively challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample segment of 1.5 inches comprising approximately 200 hair strands, akin to the size of a #2 pencil, yields 100mg—ideal for initial screening and verification. For tests involving EtG, additional panels, or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of sample is advised. Utilizing a jeweler's scale for measuring the sample weight is recommended. If scalp hair is inaccessible, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. When we mention head hair, it specifically pertains to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other varieties, including facial and axillary hair.

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of drug test outcomes encompasses four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning refers to the initial integration of a sample into a lab's system. This process checks if the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any missing data not provided by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening functions as a preliminary, efficient method to identify drugs of abuse. While cost-effective, a positive screen necessitates confirmation to be court-admissible. Any presumptive positives require subsequent confirmation.

If a sample returns a presumptive positive in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the specimen for the Extraction process. This stage involves extracting drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods like urine or oral fluid, making hair drug screening particularly challenging.

The Confirmation of any positive screening results is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo necessary washing before confirmation. The comprehensive laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes review under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair protocol and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests identify drug use up to 90 days, surpassing the shorter range of urine tests.
• High resistance to manipulation: It's extremely challenging to falsify results, enhancing accuracy.
• Historical usage pattern: It reveals the drug use timeline, not just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Ineffective for recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair only after 5-7 days.
• Higher cost: Hair drug testing is generally more expensive than alternative methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual growth patterns can influence metabolite concentration.

Note: Often labeled as "hair follicle tests," this test evaluates the hair strand and not the follicle itself.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Lucy, NM, hair testing outshines traditional urine testing methods, offering superior detection capabilities. Hair tests present a more comprehensive analysis of drug use with added reliability. The extended window for detection enables a more accurate assessment compared to the limited urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle tests in Lucy, NM, allows for the identification of drugs over a period of up to 90 days. Employers appreciate this wider timeline for assessing an individual's substance habits, enhancing their decision-making with robust historical data.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Lucy, NM, stands out with its tamper-resistant nature. The integrity of these tests reduces the chance of adulteration, ensuring that results remain trustworthy and valid, bolstering reliability that cannot be matched by other testing methods.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our network of testing locations spans nationwide, including Lucy, NM, offering ease and accessibility to our services. With convenient local centers, drug testing becomes a streamlined process, facilitating quick and hassle-free service to meet various needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of hair follicle testing in Lucy, NM, is both straightforward and confidential. From ordering to sampling and receiving results, every step ensures user privacy and ease, addressing any concerns while providing seamless service throughout.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Lucy, NM, affordable pricing combined with fast turnaround times makes hair follicle testing an economical choice for companies. This cost-effective solution suits businesses of all sizes, providing excellent value alongside rapid and accurate results.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Lucy, NM, provide unparalleled precision and efficiency in substance detection. Through their advanced analysis, results are delivered quickly, ensuring accurate substance identification. This dependable method offers peace of mind, knowing tests are both reliable and timely.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Lucy, NM, find peace of mind using hair follicle testing to maintain compliance with drug-free workplace policies. It strengthens workplace safety, minimizes legal risk, and supports a healthier work environment by ensuring trustworthy test outcomes.

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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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