Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Allen, OK

What it is, How it works

Hair assessments have emerged as an effective approach for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair offers an extended historical profile of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the strands as the hair grows. When sampled near the scalp, hair can offer up to roughly a 3-month timeframe for alcohol and drug detection. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and straightforward to transport.

A 1.5-inch strand consisting of roughly 200 hairs (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional components, and/or evaluations beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen is suggested. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair could be gathered. When we reference head hair, it specifically relates to scalp hair. The term Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The key stages involved in the clinical processing of a drug test outcome include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial integration of a specimen into a lab’s system. This process verifies that the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and compiles any additional information not included by an electronic chain of custody mechanism.

Screening entails a preliminary rapid scan for substance misuse. Although Screening is an economical method to exclude drug use in numerous samples, a positive screen demands confirmation to be permissible in court. Any samples that test presumptively positive during Screening require further confirmation.

If a specimen is deemed presumptively positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and readied for Extraction. At this juncture, drugs are extracted from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most challenging methodologies to execute.

Verification of any positive screening result is conducted through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are cleansed before confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and is accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug screenings can identify drug use for as long as 90 days, in contrast to urine tests, which have a reduced detection timeframe.
• Hard to manipulate: It is exceedingly difficult to alter the results of a hair drug test, thereby enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical insights: It can illustrate a trend of drug use over a period, as opposed to only detecting recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: It takes about 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expensive: Generally, hair drug evaluations are more costly than other drug testing alternatives.
• Outcome variability: Elements such as hair color and personal variations in hair growth may influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: While the test is commonly called a "hair follicle test", it actually analyses the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Allen, OK, hair follicle testing significantly outperforms urine testing in various aspects. It offers superior detection accuracy and reliability and is preferred by many employers and legal authorities.

This method can detect substance use over a 90-day period, unlike urine tests which typically offer shorter detection windows, making it the more effective choice for ensuring compliance with zero-tolerance policies.

Extended Detection Window

One of the critical advantages of hair testing in Allen, OK, is its extended detection window compared to other methods. It can trace drug use back up to 90 days, while urine tests only cover recent substance use.

This ability to look further into the past provides a complete picture of an individual's substance use history, enabling informed decisions in hiring and monitoring employees' compliance with drug policies.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Another advantage of hair follicle tests is their tamper-resistant nature, reducing the likelihood of sample manipulation. In Allen, OK, this characteristic ensures that the results are reliable and trustworthy.

Unlike urine tests, hair tests make it incredibly challenging to alter results, securing the test against common forms of adulteration. This integrity is essential for maintaining proper screening standards.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Allen, OK, the convenience of widespread testing centers simplifies the testing process, ensuring quick and accessible services. Nationwide and local locations expedite the testing process, offering hassle-free access.

This broad network of centers ensures that individuals and businesses can easily find a nearby location to conduct hair follicle testing promptly, enhancing the user experience.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Allen, OK, ordering and conducting a hair follicle test is a simple and confidential process. Privacy is paramount, and the entire procedure from ordering to receiving results is designed to protect personal information.

The ease of use and confidentiality provide peace of mind to users, guaranteeing that the details remain secure and accessible only to authorized personnel.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Hair follicle testing in Allen, OK, offers affordable pricing and rapid turnaround times. These competitive pricing structures ensure excellent value for companies of all sizes.

Coupled with fast results, this service provides peace of mind, knowing that businesses can quickly receive dependable evaluations of their workforce, supporting better decision-making.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug test is renowned for its swift, precise, and dependable outcomes in Allen, OK. Its high accuracy in identifying substance use makes it a preferred choice.
Speed and precision are key attributes of this testing method, offering reliable results faster than traditional methods.

Hair testing captures a broad spectrum of substances and traces them accurately over extended periods, providing employers with a comprehensive insight into potential applicants or employees.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Allen, OK, can rest assured knowing that hair follicle tests help enforce compliance with workplace drug policies. They enhance workplace safety, reduce legal risks, and provide peace of mind.

By implementing this robust testing approach, companies strengthen their drug-free policies, safeguarding the workplace against violations and non-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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