Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Brunersburg, OH

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has established itself as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a historical record of alcohol and drug use by embedding biomarkers within the hair's fibers as it grows. When hair is collected close to the scalp, it can offer a detection period of up to approximately 90 days for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch hair sample consisting of about 200 strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation processes. For EtG, additional tests, or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's recommended to use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair can't be collected, a similar quantity of body hair can be used. By head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair includes all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four key steps in the laboratory procedure for processing a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning initiates the sample's processing into a lab’s system, ensuring the sample is sealed and shipped correctly, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplemental data entry that isn’t covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening consists of a preliminary inspection for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical approach to rule out drug use in most samples, further confirmation is necessary for a positive screen to be legally admissible. Samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening require additional confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and set for Extraction, where drugs are separated from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other approaches (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing more complex.

Any positive screening results are confirmed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. Presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation when necessary. The full lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is overseen in alignment with the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and is accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a briefer detection period.
• Hard to deceive: Cheating a hair drug test is very difficult, which leads to more reliable outcomes.
• Delivers historical insights: It reveals a pattern of drug use over time, not just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of identifying recent use: Drugs require about 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing tends to be pricier than alternative methods of drug testing.
• Result variations: Factors like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Even though commonly referred to as "hair follicle tests," the test itself examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

For Brunersburg, OH, hair follicle tests eclipse traditional urine tests in several ways. Advantages include superior detection accuracy and greater reliability. Hair testing can detect drug use over an extended period, whereas urine tests offer only a limited detection window.

Effectiveness of hair tests ensures that substance abuse, even in the distant past, is identified, granting employers an essential preventative measure in maintaining workplace standards.

Extended Detection Window

In Brunersburg, OH, hair follicle testing is remarkable for its extended detection period of up to 90 days. Employers benefit by obtaining a comprehensive view of substance use history, aiding in informed decision-making.

With hair testing, a broader temporal scope complements other measures, supplying a more complete understanding of an individual's past substance use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Brunersburg, OH, the robust methodology of hair follicle tests reduces the risk of tampering, ensuring authentic samples and credible results. This reliability makes them favored among employers seeking unadulterated test outcomes.

Sample integrity is a cornerstone of hair testing, creating a trustworthy process that guards against manipulation and enhances result validity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Brunersburg, OH residents have access to convenient testing options with nationwide centers of Accredited Drug Testing. Our expansive network facilitates easy access to testing, ensuring quick and hassle-free service.

With local testing sites, residents enjoy prompt testing services without the stress of long commutes, enhancing the ease of fulfilling testing requirements.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Brunersburg, OH, the process of hair tests is designed to be simple and confidential, ensuring privacy at every stage. From ordering to results, the process is seamless, addressing all privacy concerns.

Clients take comfort in the streamlined procedure, which maintains discretion and facilitates an uncomplicated experience tailored to their needs.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Brunersburg, OH benefits from affordable pricing and rapid turnaround times of our hair follicle tests. These competitive prices provide excellent value and swift processing for businesses of all sizes.

Quick and reliable results support efficiency and peace of mind, meeting the budgetary and operational demands of diverse organizations.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Brunersburg, OH, hair follicle drug testing stands out with its remarkable precision and swiftness. Accuracy in detecting substance use is ensured thanks to advanced testing methods. Results are not only expedient but leave little room for doubt due to the reliability of the test.

Employers benefit from these efficacious methods that deliver quick insights into substance use among employees or candidates, making quick, informed decisions easier.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Brunersburg, OH can leverage hair follicle testing to maintain compliance with drug-free workplace policies, minimizing legal risks and promoting safety. This method provides peace of mind and a safer work environment.

By ensuring adherence to standards, hair testing supports organizational goals, fostering an environment that nurtures productivity and 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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