Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Ocean Isle Beach, NC

What it is, How it works

Utilizing hair for testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair captures long-term records of alcohol and other drugs by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the hair as it grows. When collected near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection period of up to around 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch section containing roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or testing beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, an equivalent amount of body hair may be gathered. The term head hair refers specifically to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory workflow in processing a drug test result includes four essential steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning consists of the preliminary processing of a sample into the laboratory's workflow. Tasks include verifying the sample's proper seal and shipment, assigning an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and performing any remaining data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody process.

Screening entails an initial rapid assessment for substances of abuse. While Screening provides a cost-efficient approach to dismiss drug usage in the majority of samples, a verified screening is necessary for court admissibility. All samples that appear positive in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

If a positive indication is found in the Screening phase, additional hair from the original specimen is readied for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at much lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring why hair drug testing poses the greatest challenge in terms of technique.

Any positive screening result undergoes Confirmation via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive are cleansed before confirmation as needed. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review in alignment with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage up to 90 days back, unlike urine tests which possess a shorter detection span.
• Cheating resistance: Circumventing a hair drug test proves highly challenging, ensuring more accurate findings.
• Reveals usage patterns: It offers a timeline of drug use over an extended duration, rather than just recent usage.

Challenges:

• Inability to detect recent use: It takes about 5-7 days for drugs to be identifiable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically costlier than alternative methods of drug testing.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual discrepancies in hair growth can impact the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Despite being frequently labeled "hair follicle tests", the actual test evaluates the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

The hair follicle testing method outshines traditional urine tests by providing enhanced detection accuracy in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. Unlike urine tests, hair analysis allows for a much broader spectrum of substance tracing, offering a more reliable and comprehensive insight into one's drug and alcohol history. This superior approach ensures modern, trustworthy results every time.

Extended Detection Window

In Ocean Isle Beach, NC, the hair follicle test's extended detection window, stretching up to 90 days, gives employers a more comprehensive picture of both applicants' and employees' substance histories. This peculiar ability to detect long-term substance use makes the hair test an invaluable tool for thorough drug screening.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Ocean Isle Beach, NC, can rely on the tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests. This methodology significantly lowers sample adulteration risk, providing results that are both reliable and indisputable. Individuals are unable to tamper with these samples, ensuring trustworthy outcomes upon each examination.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing centers conveniently located nationwide, residents of Ocean Isle Beach, NC, find quick and easy access to drug testing services. The wide availability of our locations ensures minimal hassle and maximum convenience for anyone in need of these essential services.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Ocean Isle Beach, NC, the hair follicle drug testing process is straightforward and confidential. From ordering to testing to receiving results, every step respects privacy concerns and ensures ease of use, addressing any anxieties about personal information safety.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Ocean Isle Beach, NC, benefits from competitive pricing structures related to hair follicle drug tests. With quick turnaround times, our testing services provide great value and peace of mind for businesses of all sizes, ensuring that quality does not equate to unaffordable service fees.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Residents in Ocean Isle Beach, NC, can expect hair follicle drug tests that are lightning fast, exceptionally accurate, and highly reliable. With superior precision, these tests accurately identify substance use without excessive waiting times. Emphasizing their unmatched accuracy, hair tests ensure accurate determinations, allowing quick decisions based on trustworthy results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For Ocean Isle Beach, NC, employers, hair follicle testing promotes compliance and peace of mind by ensuring adherence with drug-free workplace policies. Reducing legal liabilities and promoting workplace safety, this method yields both security and trust in any professional 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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