Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Morgandale, OH

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has gained recognition as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged history of substance use by embedding biomarkers in the fibers of the hair strand as it grows. When obtained near the scalp, hair can indicate up to a 3-month period of alcohol and drug detection. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

Cutting a 1.5-inch portion of around 200 hair strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) close to the scalp can yield 100mg, which is the optimal sample for testing and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, 150mg of sample is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale is recommended for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair cannot be sourced, a similar volume of body hair can be gathered. Reference to head hair pertains solely to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning is the process of entering a sample into a lab’s system. This step ensures the sample is appropriately sealed and delivered, assigns it a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any missing data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody framework.

Screening offers an initial rudimentary check for drug presence. Although Screening is a budget-friendly method to exclude drug usage in most samples, any positive findings necessitate verification for judicial admissibility. Samples that show presumptive positivity require a follow-up confirmation.

If a sample appears positive during Screening, more hair is isolated from the initial sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at far lower concentrations compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting hair drug testing as the most challenging technique to execute.

Verification of a positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positivity undergo washing before confirmation where needed. Each step from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the standards of ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can trace drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection span.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is highly challenging, thereby enhancing result reliability.
• Yields historical insights: It presents a timeline of drug consumption, unlike tests identifying only recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot uncover recent consumption: Drugs become noticeable in hair roughly after 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than other methods.
• Variable outcomes: Elements like hair color and individual growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis involves the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing lies in the comprehensive benefits hair testing offers over urine tests. Hair follicle testing provides superior detection accuracy and reliability in Morgandale, OH, ensuring drugs are consistently identified over extended periods, unlike the shorter detection windows associated with urine testing. This advantage is critical for stringent drug-free policies.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window is a key feature of hair follicle tests. In Morgandale, OH, these tests provide a longer look into an individual’s drug use history, up to 90 days. This valuable information allows employers to gain deeper insights into the applicant or employee’s past drug use, ensuring a more informed decision-making process.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests bring Tamper-Resistant qualities, reducing the risk of sample manipulation. In Morgandale, OH, these tests provide reliable and unquestionable results, given their structure and collection method. The integrity of the sample is maintained, ensuring a level of confidence in the results that is challenging to achieve with other testing methods.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations assure accessibility in Morgandale, OH. Our expansive network of testing centers provides quick, easy, and hassle-free access to services. Local facilities support efficient testing without compromising convenience, exemplifying our commitment to serving your needs with minimal disruption to your daily routine.

Simple, Confidential Process

The Simple, Confidential Process of hair follicle testing in Morgandale, OH, caters to privacy concerns, ensuring ease from ordering to receipt of results. This process is constructed to be user-friendly while maintaining confidentiality, addressing common apprehensions about personal data handling and offering seamless service from start to finish.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround stand out in our offerings in Morgandale, OH. We are committed to providing excellent value for companies of all sizes with competitive pricing structures that do not compromise on service quality. Our quick turnaround times further instill confidence in customers seeking efficient and cost-effective testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results are crucial for drug testing, ensuring both speed and precision. In Morgandale, OH, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their swift processing times and high accuracy in detecting substances. The precision these tests offer establishes them as the preferred method for employers who need immediate and reliable results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind are assured with hair follicle testing in Morgandale, OH. Employing this method ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies, minimizing legal exposure while enhancing workplace safety. Employers benefit from the detailed insights these tests provide, granting reassurance and confidence in 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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