Hair Follicle Drug Testing - North Benton, OR

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has gained recognition as an effective technique for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and drug usage by capturing biomarkers within the hair's fibers as it grows. When taken from close to the scalp, hair can offer an estimated 3-month detection period for substances. Collecting hair is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and effortless to send.

A 1.5-inch section of around 200 hairs (about the thickness of a #2 pencil) located nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the perfect specimen for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advised. It's suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable quantity of body hair is an alternative. References to head hair mean scalp hair specifically. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory analysis of a drug test consists of four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves entering a sample into the lab’s system. This step verifies if the sample was properly sealed and delivered and assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), along with any extra data entry needed that’s not included in an electronic custody chain system.

Screening provides a rapid assessment for banned substances. Although screening is an economical technique to eliminate drug use in most samples, a positive result must be confirmed for legal acceptability. Samples that presumptively test positive in Screening necessitate additional confirmation.

If a sample shows a presumptive positive result during Screening, more hair is extracted from the sample to prepare for Extraction. In this phase, drug extracts from hair are at a lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing a challenging process.

Confirmation for any positive screening is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptively positive samples are cleansed before confirmation, if needed. The full lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is under review by CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests are limited to a shorter period.
• Challenging to evade: It's notably tough to deceive a hair drug test, enhancing the reliability of results.
• Retrospective data: It can delineate drug use tendencies over time, as opposed to only detecting recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: Drugs need about 5-7 days to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is typically pricier than alternative drug testing approaches.
• Outcome discrepancies: Variables like hair color and personal differences in hair growth may influence drug metabolite concentration in the hair.

Note: Although labeled as "hair follicle tests," the procedure examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In North Benton, OR, hair follicle testing is something that cannot be overlooked when compared to urine tests. A major reason is the superior detection accuracy that hair testing provides. Its ability to reliably pinpoint a range of substances makes it more dependable for serious testing needs, distinguishing it from traditional urine methods that have a narrower spectrum of detection.

Extended Detection Window

The ability to trace drug use over an extended period sets hair follicle testing apart in North Benton, OR. With the capacity to detect substances for up to 90 days, it offers employers an extensive overview of a person's substance use history. This long-term detection is invaluable for making informed employment decisions and maintaining a safe, drug-free workplace.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

An impressive benefit of hair follicle tests in North Benton, OR, is their resilience against tampering. The method's design leaves little room for adulteration, as samples are collected under stringent conditions. This reduces the risk of false results, offering a trustworthy testing choice for employers committed to transparency and integrity.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient testing centers nationwide and in North Benton, OR, Accredited Drug Testing facilitates hair follicle tests with ease and efficiency. Clients can access our services swiftly, ensuring a smooth process that caters to their specific needs without inconvenience, reaffirming our commitment to quality service delivery.

Simple, Confidential Process

In North Benton, OR, the process of performing hair follicle testing through Accredited Drug Testing is both simple and discreet. From ordering tests to receiving results, every step is designed with client confidentiality in mind, ensuring that users witness a straightforward process without compromising on their privacy concerns.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and rapid result turnaround times, Accredited Drug Testing in North Benton, OR ensures that businesses receive exceptional value. Our pricing structures are designed to be accessible for organizations of all sizes, allowing them to benefit from quick, reliable results without stretching their budgets.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in North Benton, OR offer fast, well-organized, and incredibly accurate results. These tests stand out by efficiently identifying various substances, providing a robust method to ascertain substance use patterns. Known for their high precision, hair tests are trusted for delivering reliable results, ensuring that employers get the information they need promptly and accurately.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in North Benton, OR, enjoy significant peace of mind with hair follicle testing, adhering to workplace drug-free policies. This method not only ensures that compliance standards are met but also mitigates legal risks. It helps create a safer work environment, ultimately enhancing productivity and fostering a culture of reliability and trust.

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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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