Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Ute Park, NM

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers in the fibers of the hair shaft as it grows, hair offers a long-term overview of drug and alcohol use. When collected close to the scalp, it can provide a detection period extending up to roughly 3 months for both alcohol and drug use. Hair is easy to collect, somewhat resistant to tampering, and straightforward to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches consisting of about 200 hair strands (about the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp equates to 100mg, which is the optimal amount for both testing and confirmation purposes. For EtG, additional analysis, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advisable. It's suggested to measure the hair on a jeweler’s scale. In cases where scalp hair is not available, an equivalent volume of body hair can be used. When discussing head hair, it exclusively pertains to scalp hair. Body hair includes any other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The key stages in the laboratory analysis of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the primary handling of a specimen within a laboratory’s system. This step ensures the proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigns a distinct LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any additional information required beyond the electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening constitutes an initial assessment for drugs of abuse. Though Screening is an economical method to discount drug use for most specimens, a positive result necessitates confirmation to be legally valid. All samples that test presumptively positive in Screening must undergo further confirmation.

For any sample testing positive in the Screening phase, further hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from the hair at a much lower level than other methodologies (ex. urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing notably challenging to complete.

Positive Screening results are validated using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleaned before confirmation as needed. The entire procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, adheres to the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a reduced detection span.
• Difficult to deceive: Cheating a hair drug test is very challenging, ensuring higher accuracy in results.
• Offers historical information: It provides a timeline of drug use over extended periods, not solely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent consumption: Drugs become detectable in hair about 5-7 days after use.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests are more costly than alternate drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and individual hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Commonly referred to as "hair follicle tests," the procedure actually examines the hair strand rather than the underlying hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Ute Park, NM, hair follicle testing demonstrates superiority over conventional urine tests.

Benefits include:

• Extended detection period
• Higher reliability
• Reduced manipulation risk

Hair testing provides enhanced detection capabilities, ensuring more accurate and trustworthy results than traditional urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Ute Park, NM offers a significantly longer detection window for drug use, capable of identifying substance usage up to 90 days prior.

This extended period provides a thorough examination of an individual's drug activity, offering potential employers a broader perspective of a candidate or employee's past usage.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Ute Park, NM's hair follicle testing significantly minimizes the risk of sample tampering.

The method offers reliable, unquestionable outcomes due to its inherent resistance to adulteration, providing peace of mind to employers and compliance officers by ensuring result integrity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing's nationwide and Ute Park, NM-specific locations offer convenience.

With an extensive network of testing centers, accessing our services is quick, straightforward, and devoid of complications, ensuring a seamless testing experience locally and beyond.

Simple, Confidential Process

Testing in Ute Park, NM is simple and confidential, ensuring ease and privacy for all involved.

The process of ordering, administering, and receiving results is designed to be straightforward, addressing privacy concerns while maintaining ease of operation.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our competitive pricing and swift results in Ute Park, NM, offer excellent value.

With quick turnarounds and economical pricing structures, companies of varying sizes can enjoy affordability and reassurance, reinforcing our commitment to cost-effective testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Ute Park, NM offers fast, accurate hair follicle drug testing, ensuring precision in results. Hair testing stands out for its swift and dependable analysis, offering high accuracy in detecting substance use.

Employers and individuals can trust the timely and precise results from hair tests, making them a reliable option for substance detection. Coupled with modern techniques, these tests support quick decisions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Ute Park, NM benefit from hair follicle testing for assuring the enforcement of drug-free policies.

This method not only fosters a safer workplace, but also mitigates legal liabilities, offering peace of mind for business owners by ensuring policy compliance.

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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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