Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Dover Plains, NY

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as a robust technique for recognizing substance use. Hair offers an extended history of drugs and alcohol by encasing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol consumption over a span of nearly three months. Hair is straightforward to gather, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches and featuring around 200 hair strands (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp can yield 100mg, an optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation phases. For tests like EtG, additional tests, or those exceeding 10 panels, collecting 150mg of hair is advisable. It's suggested to measure the sample with a jeweler’s scale. If no scalp hair is available, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be obtained. In terms of head hair, this specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial hair, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four primary steps in the lab analysis of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is about initially entering a sample into the lab’s system. This step ensures proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data not available through an electronic chain of custody.

Screening is an initial, rapid evaluation for drugs. While Screening provides an economical method to filter out drug usage for most samples, a positive screening outcome must be confirmed to hold up in legal proceedings. Samples that test positive during Screening also need a secondary verification.

If a sample shows a positive sign during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the primary sample and readied for Extraction. During this step, drug chemicals are extracted from hair at far lower levels than in other testing forms (like urine or saliva), which is why hair drug analysis remains the most challenging method.

Confirmation of any positive result occurs via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples go through a wash before confirmation if necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and adheres to the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests offer a drug detection period of up to 90 days, in contrast to urine tests which have a shorter time frame.
• Low likelihood of tampering: The difficulty of manipulating a hair drug test enhances the reliability of results.
• Chronological data: It presents an overview of substance use patterns over extended periods instead of recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs typically become detectable in hair after about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug analysis tends to be pricier compared to other testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual growth rates can influence drug metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: Though often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis investigates the hair shaft and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Dover Plains, NY
Hair testing is superior to urine tests due to its ability to detect substances accurately over an extended period. This method surpasses traditional urine tests by offering greater reliability and longer detection windows, proving crucial for employers, courts, and individuals.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Dover Plains, NY
Hair follicle testing can uncover drug use for up to 90 days, providing employers with an in-depth view of a subject's drug history. This extensive detection period is key for organizations needing a reliable overview of an individual’s substance use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Dover Plains, NY
Hair follicle tests significantly lower the risk of sample tampering, yielding reliable and undeniable outcomes. This method ensures the integrity of results, mitigating any attempt at deception during the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Dover Plains, NY
Our extensive network of testing centers nationwide ensures easy, swift, and hassle-free access to testing services, facilitating seamless drug testing experiences for all clients in various locales.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Dover Plains, NY
Our straightforward and confidential procedure for ordering, testing, and result retrieval addresses privacy concerns and ensures ease of use, making the entire process effortless and secure for every client.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Dover Plains, NY
We offer competitive pricing and swift turnaround times, delivering excellent value and assurance for companies of all sizes, ensuring efficient and cost-effective drug testing services.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Dover Plains, NY
Hair follicle drug tests offer rapid and precise detection of substance use, ensuring high accuracy. This advanced testing method provides speedy, dependable results, making it a frequent choice for ensuring clear substance oversight in a timely manner.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Dover Plains, NY
Hair follicle testing aids in aligning with drug-free workplace policies, mitigating legal vulnerabilities and bolstering workplace safety. This testing approach provides peace of mind by ensuring stringent compliance for all stakeholders.

Drug Testing Near Dover Plains, NY

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Dover, NY

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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