Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Granville, NY

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has become recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The fibers of the growing hair strand capture biomarkers, offering an extended record of alcohol and drug use. When collected near the scalp, hair can detect alcohol and drugs for up to roughly three months. It's easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to ship.

A 1.5-inch segment of around 200 hair strands (approximately comparable to a #2 pencil diameter) nearest to the scalp will provide 100mg, ideal for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg specimen is suggested. We propose weighing the sample with a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, we refer solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, a sample is initially processed into the laboratory’s system. This step includes verifying proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody.

Screening is an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While cost-effective in ruling out drug use for most samples, positive screens need confirmation for court admissibility. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening require secondary confirmation.

If a sample is presumptively positive at Screening, more hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. In this step, drugs are isolated from the hair at a much lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screen is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing as needed before confirmation. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 certification.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have shorter detection periods.
• Challenging to tamper: It’s immensely difficult to manipulate a hair drug test, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical use data: It can show a drug use pattern over time, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent usage: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days after use.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically costlier than other drug testing methods.
• Result variation: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can affect drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the test actually examines the hair strand and not the follicle below the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle and urine drug tests in Granville, NY, hair testing stands out for superior detection and reliability. While traditional urine tests can miss recent substance use, hair tests provide a broader detection window, ensuring accurate and dependable results. This facilitates businesses and authorities in maintaining zero-tolerance policies effectively.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing holds a strong advantage in Granville, NY, by tracking drug use over an extended timeline of up to 90 days. This thorough detection assists employers in gaining insight into an individual’s substance habits over time, promoting informed decisions for maintaining safety and compliance in the workplace.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Granville, NY, hair follicle tests are celebrated for their resistance to tampering. Unlike other testing methods, they significantly reduce the opportunity for sample manipulation, ensuring results are accurate and unquestionable. This reliability provides peace of mind to employers and legal bodies alike.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Across Granville, NY, and beyond, our extensive network of testing sites ensures testing services are convenient and accessible. With locations spread nationwide, the logistical ease of getting tested is simplified, making the process hassle-free for individuals and organizations requiring reliable drug testing services.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Granville, NY, our hair follicle testing process remains simple and confidential. From ordering to receiving results, the procedure is streamlined to secure privacy and ease for users. Concerns about discreetness and simplicity are addressed, ensuring a worry-free experience for all participants involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Granville, NY, our drug testing services boast affordable rates and swift result turnaround, providing value to businesses regardless of size. Competitive pricing structures and quick processing are at the heart of our commitment to offer excellent service, granting companies confidence in their testing choice.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Granville, NY, hair follicle drug tests are celebrated for their speed and precision. They ensure results that can be trusted, distinguishing substance use with high accuracy surpassing other methods. When timely and correct evaluations are crucial, hair follicle testing offers unparalleled benefits, delivering reliable assessments rapidly and efficiently.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

By employing hair follicle testing in Granville, NY, employers ensure adherence to drug-free workplace policies, enhancing safety and reducing legal issues. This method not only aligns with compliance standards but also fortifies the foundation of a secure and productive working 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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