Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Butte Falls, OR

What it is, How it works

The utilization of hair testing has gained recognition as an effective means for identifying substance and alcohol usage. Hair serves as an extended timeline for alcohol and drug presence by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands of hair as it grows. When sourced near the scalp, hair can supply an approximate three-month detection duration for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of around 200 hair strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the preferable sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or testing beyond 10 panels, a specimen of 150mg is advocated. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen is advised. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we specifically refer to scalp hair. Body hair denotes all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary phases in the lab processing of drug test results, namely Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the sample's preliminary processing into a lab's system, ensuring it was properly sealed and transported, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and recording any supplementary data not captured by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails an initial swift analysis for substances of abuse. While Screening offers a cost-efficient method to exclude drug use for most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for legal admissibility. Any samples preliminarily positive during Screening require a secondary verification.

Upon a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the original specimen and prepped for Extraction. This stage involves extracting drugs from hair at notably lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring why hair drug screening is exceedingly challenging.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are employed for confirming any positive screening outcome. All preliminarily positive samples are washed before confirmation, where necessary. The comprehensive lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection span: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use for nearly 90 days, unlike urine tests which offer a shorter detection span.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is highly challenging, leading to more precise results.
• Delivers historical insights: It provides a drug usage pattern over time, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-use.
• Higher cost: Hair drug tests generally incur more expenses than other drug testing options.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can impact the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Butte Falls, OR
The advantages of hair tests against traditional urine tests are clear. Hair testing offers superior detection capabilities and reliability, providing a more comprehensive view of an individual's substance use history. Unlike urine tests, hair tests can identify drug use over a longer period, making them more dependable for various settings.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Butte Falls, OR
Hair follicle testing stands out due to its extensive detection window. This method can uncover drug use for up to 90 days, granting employers a full understanding of a candidate's or employee's substance habits. The lengthy detection period surpasses that of urine tests, offering a more comprehensive assessment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Butte Falls, OR
Hair follicle tests significantly minimize the opportunity for sample tampering, ensuring reliable and undeniable results. This method's robustness against adulteration or substitution makes it a preferred choice, as the sample is collected under direct observation, further affirming its integrity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Butte Falls, OR
Our extensive network of testing centers nationwide, including in Butte Falls, ensures accessibility to drug testing services. This widespread availability simplifies the testing process, making it easy and convenient, regardless of your location, for both businesses and individuals.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Butte Falls, OR
The process of ordering, conducting, and receiving hair follicle test results is straightforward and confidential. Privacy concerns are addressed at each step, ensuring ease of use and full confidentiality for clients, thereby fostering trust and confidence in the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Butte Falls, OR
We provide competitive pricing and swift turnaround times, ensuring excellent value for businesses of all sizes. Our affordable approach makes it feasible for companies to maintain their testing programs without compromising on quality or speed, offering peace of mind.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Butte Falls, OR
Hair follicle drug tests are known for their precision and quick results. They ensure high accuracy in detecting various substances, offering clients confidence in the reliability of the results. The advanced technology behind hair testing allows for quick turnaround times, making it a preferred choice for those needing detailed drug use insights.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Butte Falls, OR
Employing hair follicle testing facilitates adherence to workplace drug policies, reducing legal liabilities and bolstering workplace safety. This method offers employers reassurance by ensuring that employees conform to necessary drug-free standards, providing a more secure 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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