Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Robersonville, NC

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a significant method for detecting drug and alcohol use. It offers a prolonged historical view of substance use, as biomarkers are trapped within the growing hair strand's fibers. When sampled close to the scalp, hair testing can demonstrate drug and alcohol consumption over an approximate three-month period. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to ship.

A 1.5-inch segment comprising about 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) from close to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and tests extending beyond 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advocated. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is suggested. In cases where scalp hair isn't accessible, an equivalent amount of body hair can be utilized. When mentioning head hair, it refers exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all alternate types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The predominant steps in laboratory drug test processing are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to introducing a sample into a lab’s system. This involves confirming the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigning it a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data input absent in the electronic chain of custody.

Screening represents a preliminary swift assessment for abuse substances. Although Screening offers a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug use in most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for legal acceptance. Samples flagged as presumptively positive during Screening must undergo a secondary confirmation.

When a sample is marked presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is obtained from the initial sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at a notably lower concentration than in other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), illustrating why hair drug screening poses as the most intricate method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening is achieved through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing as needed before confirmation. The entire lab process from Accessioning through Confirmation is audited under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug usage up to 90 days, whereas urine tests feature a reduced detection span.
• Low likelihood of tampering: It is exceedingly tough to manipulate a hair drug test, ensuring more dependable outcomes.
• Chronological data provision: It is capable of illustrating a drug use pattern over time, beyond just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Recent use undetectability: A span of approximately 5-7 days is required for drugs to register in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests often incur higher costs than alternative drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and unique traits in hair growth may influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Despite the colloquial label "hair follicle tests," the assessment actually involves analyzing the hair strand, not the hair follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why choose hair follicle testing over urine tests in Robersonville, NC? Hair testing offers superior detection and reliability. While urine tests are common, they fall short in detecting long-term drug use. Hair tests provide a 90-day detection period, offering employers a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's substance history.
Where urine tests limit detection to days, hair tests deliver more extensive timelines, giving unparalleled assurance in drug-testing precision.

Extended Detection Window

In Robersonville, NC, hair follicle testing offers a substantial detection window of up to 90 days. This extended period allows for a fuller understanding of an individual’s drug history. Employers benefit by gaining insight into past substance use, enhancing informed decisions.
The ability to detect a wider history period makes hair follicle testing indispensable for comprehensive drug analysis.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Robersonville, NC, benefits from the tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle testing. Unlike other methods, hair tests drastically reduce the possibility of adulteration, ensuring results remain reliable and unquestioned.
The observed collection process is stringent, making manipulation highly improbable, providing businesses the assurance of uncompromised drug test results for greater trust and compliance.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing locations throughout Robersonville, NC, and nationwide, accessing our services is both convenient and efficient. Our extensive network ensures quick and easy testing service availability, minimizing disruption.
The effortlessness of our processes contributes to hassle-free testing experiences, supporting both local residents and businesses swiftly and reliably.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Robersonville, NC, our hair drug testing process is designed to be simple and confidential. From ordering to receiving results, each step prioritizes ease and privacy.
This streamlined approach alleviates concerns, ensuring participants feel secure and informed throughout, providing confidence in both the process and the discretion of handling results.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing, Robersonville, NC, benefits from affordable and fast turnaround on hair follicle tests. Our cost-effective solutions cater to companies of various sizes with prompt result deliveries.
This balance of value and expedience ensures peace of mind while maintaining fiscal responsibility within a company’s drug-testing program.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Robersonville, NC, hair follicle drug tests are known for their swift and precise outcomes. These tests excel in accuracy, pinpointing substances effectively. Compared to traditional methods, they offer a higher standard in precision, making them a preferred choice for detecting drug usage.
The robust methodology ensures that from collection to results, the process is streamlined for reliability and speed, ensuring clients get the answers they need promptly.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Robersonville, NC, secure compliance and peace of mind via hair follicle testing. Ensuring adherence to drug-free policies mitigates legal risks and enhances overall workplace safety.
The comprehensive insights gained through hair tests enable better-informed decisions, strengthening workplace standards, and maintaining a drug-free 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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