Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Olustee, OK

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair keeps a comprehensive record of alcohol and other drugs by preserving biomarkers in the fibers of the growing hair strand. When cut near the scalp, hair can offer up to roughly a 3-month detection period for alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to obtain, somewhat challenging to alter, and straightforward to transport.

A 1.5-inch piece of about 200 hair strands (approximately the width of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will provide 100mg of hair, the perfect sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests greater than 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If scalp hair is unavailable, the same amount of body hair may be utilized. When mentioning head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair covers all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four main steps in processing a drug test result in the laboratory are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial handling of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This involves confirming that the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening comprises an initial rapid check for drugs of abuse. While Screening is a cost-effective approach to eliminate drug usage on most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in court. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening require a further confirmation.

If a sample is presumptively positive during the Screening stage, more hair is taken from the initial specimen and processed for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are isolated from hair at a significantly lower concentration than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most intricate methodology to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleaned before confirmation as necessary. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed 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 identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a shorter detection span.
• Challenging to deceive: It is extremely challenging to falsify a hair drug test, ensuring more precise results.
• Offers historical data: It can display a pattern of drug consumption over a timeframe, not just any recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent usage: It takes about 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests usually cost more than other drug testing methods.
• Outcome variations: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth variations can influence the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: While often termed as "hair follicle tests", the test itself analyzes the hair strand and not the hair follicle under the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Testing Outshines Urine Testing:
In Olustee, OK, hair follicle tests offer far superior detection capabilities than standard urine tests. Key advantages include:

• Longer detection window: Up to 90 days versus a few days for urine.
• Higher reliability: Nearly impossible to falsify.

Employers and agencies in Olustee trust hair testing for its thorough assessment of an individual's substance history, leaving urine tests for recent usage inquiries.

Extended Detection Window

In Olustee, OK, hair follicle testing provides an extended detection period, offering a comprehensive view of an individual's substance use history over the past 90 days. This is invaluable for employers seeking to understand long-term behavior patterns.

The extended detection window of hair tests in Olustee allows for a more complete assessment, giving employers a better understanding of an applicant or employee's commitment to maintaining a drug-free lifestyle.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Olustee, OK are a tamper-resistant method for drug screening. The collection process and the nature of the hair sample make it significantly harder to adulterate compared to other testing methods.

The integrity of hair follicle testing ensures that results are both reliable and trustworthy, offering peace of mind to organizations in Olustee looking to uphold strict drug-free policies.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient nationwide centers, including in Olustee, OK, making it easy for individuals and companies to access testing services. Our locations are easily reachable, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

Local and nationwide presence of testing centers in Olustee ensures prompt service delivery, providing stakeholders with quick and efficient access to drug testing facilities.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Olustee, OK, the process for hair follicle testing is both simple and confidential, addressing privacy concerns effectively. It encompasses easy ordering, straightforward testing, and discreet result delivery.

Confidentiality is maintained throughout the entire process in Olustee, ensuring individuals can undergo testing without concerns about privacy breaches, making the procedure smooth and stress-free.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing and quick turnaround times, Olustee, OK hair follicle tests deliver value and efficiency. Competitive pricing structures attract businesses of all sizes looking for reliable drug testing.

The cost-effectiveness of hair testing in Olustee is paired with rapid results, ensuring companies enjoy quality services without breaking the bank, providing peace of mind at a fair price.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Olustee, OK are renowned for their precision and rapid results. Unlike other methods, they deliver high accuracy in substance detection. Their ability to identify drugs is unparalleled, making them a preferred choice for fast and reliable results.

The speed at which hair follicle tests provide results is noteworthy. In Olustee, laboratories prioritize delivering outcomes quickly while maintaining high standards of accuracy in their analysis. This ensures dependable and consistent results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Olustee, OK can attain peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring compliance with workplace drug-free policies. This reduces legal risks and enhances workplace safety, fostering a secure environment.

Compliance with drug-free policies is simplified with hair testing, providing employers in Olustee a dependable tool to maintain a safe and productive workplace, minimizing potential liabilities.

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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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