Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Slick, OK

What it is, How it works

Considered a potent method, hair testing efficiently identifies drug and alcohol consumption. Hair accumulates long-term evidence of substances by encapsulating biomarkers within hair strands as they grow. When hair is sourced near the scalp, it provides a detection period that lasts up to three months for alcohol and other drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, less vulnerable to tampering, and convenient for transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches from approximately 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's width), gathered closest to the scalp, delivers 100mg of hair—ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or those exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for weighing is suggested. In case scalp hair is unavailable, a comparable amount of body hair may be collected. Head hair refers exclusively to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory handling of a drug test result encompasses four fundamental steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the preliminary integration of a sample into the laboratory system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry missing from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening represents an initial, expeditious examination for drug abuse. As a cost-efficient method, Screening screens out drugs in most samples; however, a positive outcome requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Presumptive positive samples from Screening necessitate subsequent confirmation.

Should Screening suggest a sample is positive, additional hair from the initial sample is subjected to Extraction. This stage extracts drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations than other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing a particularly challenging methodology.

Any positive screening result is confirmed with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Confirmation involves washing presumptive positive samples when needed. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for as long as 90 days, whereas urine tests cover a shorter detection span.
• Difficult to compromise: Hair drug tests are resistant to manipulation, ensuring the accuracy of results.
• Provides historical insights: It offers a timeline of drug use over a duration, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Does not detect recent usage: Drug presence becomes evident in hair only about 5-7 days after use.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and personal hair growth differences can impact drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Often termed as "hair follicle tests", the test evaluates the strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Slick, OK, surpasses urine testing through superior detection capabilities and increased accuracy. It can identify drug use over an extended period, giving a clearer picture compared to conventional urine tests.

The benefits of hair testing over urine tests include unmatched accuracy and reliability, making it the preferred choice for precise detection of substance use in Slick, OK.

Extended Detection Window

In Slick, OK, hair follicle testing offers a significant advantage with its prolonged detection window, providing insights into drug use over the last 90 days. This long detection time enables employers to gain a detailed understanding of an individual's substance history.

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing gives businesses in Slick, OK the added assurance of evaluating potential hires' or current employees' drug histories comprehensively.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests are renowned for their tamper-resistant qualities in Slick, OK. These tests offer a secure method that diminishes risks of sample tampering, delivering reliable, unquestionable results.

This method significantly lowers the risk of sample adulteration, providing trustworthy results for individuals and organizations in Slick, OK.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient testing centers throughout the nation, including Slick, OK, making access to testing services fast and hassle-free. Nationwide locations provide flexibility and convenience.

With accessible locations nationwide, including Slick, OK, our centers ensure ease and convenience for those in need of prompt testing services.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Slick, OK, is easy and confidential, ensuring privacy and simplicity from ordering to result acquisition. Concerns around privacy and ease of use are effectively addressed.

Emphasizing confidentiality and ease, hair follicle testing in Slick, OK ensures a simple, secure procedure from start to finish, addressing user concerns of privacy.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Slick, OK, our hair follicle testing guarantees competitive pricing and quick result turnaround. It's structured to provide good value and assurance for companies of every size.
Our services in Slick, OK offer swift turnarounds and affordability details, ensuring fantastic value and peace of mind.

Diligently balancing pricing and speed, our testing services in Slick, OK provide companies with economic yet effective solution options.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Slick, OK, the hair follicle drug testing method provides rapid, precise, and trustworthy results. The swiftness and accuracy of this testing approach make it a go-to choice, accurately identifying substance use with ease.

Offering a significant level of precision, hair follicle testing in Slick, OK, sets a high bar in accurately detecting and reporting drug usage, ensuring swift plus dependable outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Utilizing hair follicle testing in Slick, OK ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies, minimizing legal risks while enhancing overall workplace safety. Employers gain peace of mind through compliance.

Employers in Slick, OK enjoy the peace of mind and ensured compliance with hair follicle testing, as it supports maintaining a safe, drug-free work 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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