Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Canyon City, OR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended timeline of drug and alcohol use by capturing markers within the fibers of the growing hair strand. When collected near the scalp, hair can give an approximate 3-month detection window for drugs and alcohol. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment of around 200 hair strands (similar to the size of a #2 pencil) close to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the preferred quantity for analysis and validation. For EtG assessments, extra tests, and/or examinations exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for specimen measurement. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable amount of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers exclusively to scalp hair. "Body hair" refers to all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Breakdown

The four key stages involved in laboratory testing and analysis are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial processing step where a laboratory system receives and logs a sample. This step ensures the secure sealing and transport of the sample, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any missing data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening offers a preliminary, cost-efficient analysis for drug presence, helping eliminate drug use in most samples. However, any positive screen must be confirmed for courtroom validity. Any samples that presumptively test positive in Screening require further confirmation.

Should a sample display presumptive positivity during Screening, additional hair is taken from the originally provided specimen for Extraction. This stage extracts drugs from hair at lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug analysis is notably challenging.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples testing presumptively positive undergo washing prior to confirmation if necessary. The complete laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and aligns with ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeline: Hair drug tests can identify drug uptake for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests offer a narrower detection period.
• Cheating difficulty: Hair drug tests are tough to cheat, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Historical insight: This method provides trends of drug usage over time, not merely recent consumption.

Challenges:

• Recent use invisibility: Drugs become detectable in hair roughly 5-7 days post-usage.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur higher costs than alternative methods.
• Result variability: Differences in hair color and individual hair growth patterns can impact drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Although often labeled "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Canyon City, OR, hair follicle testing proves superior to urine tests with its extended detection capabilities and reliable outcomes.

Employing hair tests ensures accurate and dependable detection surpassing that of traditional urine testing methods, especially for long-term substance tracking.

Extended Detection Window

With hair follicle tests in Canyon City, OR, the detection window extends up to 90 days, offering a thorough review of substance use history.

This significant detection period provides employers with comprehensive understanding of an employee's or applicant’s past behavior.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Conducted in Canyon City, OR, hair follicle tests are notably tamper-resistant, minimizing risks of sample adulteration.

The stringent security of hair testing ensures results remain uncompromised and trustworthy for decision-making.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient access in Canyon City, OR via our wide testing network, providing hassle-free services nationwide.

Quick, easy access to our centers ensures a seamless testing experience, catering to local and national needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Canyon City, OR, hair follicle testing offers a simple, confidential process, securing privacy from scheduling to results.

Designed for user-friendliness, our process addresses privacy concerns, delivering a seamless, discreet experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive rates in Canyon City, OR, our hair testing services deliver fast turnaround and value for businesses.

Affordable pricing and efficient service empower companies to implement testing affordably, without sacrificing quality.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Canyon City, OR boasts of fast, accurate hair follicle drug testing, marked by unsurpassed precision in identifying substance use. High accuracy ensures trusted results.

Effective and dependable, hair tests swiftly deliver results, offering reliable insights into substance consumption patterns.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Canyon City, OR, hair follicle testing aids employers in compliance with drug-free policies, offering peace of mind through minimized legal risk.

Maintaining workplace safety is achieved by implementing these reliable testing measures, ensuring adherence to company policies.

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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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