Hair Follicle Drug Testing - St. Helens, OR

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has become recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair captures a prolonged history of alcohol and drugs by incorporating biomarkers within the fibers of the continuously growing hair strand. When taken near the scalp, hair offers up to about a 3-month detection period for alcohol and other substances. It's easy to collect hair, relatively hard to tamper with, and simple to ship.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of around 200 hair strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp, will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is suggested. We advise weighing the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning refers to the initial processing of a sample in a laboratory's system. This process includes ensuring the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any additional data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary, rapid check for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical way to rule out drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening need an additional confirmation.

If a sample is presumptively positive during the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the initial sample and prepared for Extraction. During this stage, drugs are removed from hair at a far lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), hence hair drug testing is regarded as the most challenging method to execute.

Positive screening results are confirmed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumptively positive are cleaned prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair criteria and is accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Hard to falsely manipulate: Cheating on a hair drug test is quite difficult, making results more reliable.
• Shows usage trends: It can indicate a pattern of drug use over time, rather than just recent intake.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-use.
• Expense: Typically, hair drug tests cost more than other testing methods.
• Results variation: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth rates might impact the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Often termed as "hair follicle tests", the test examines the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in St. Helens, OR:
Hair testing surpasses urine tests by offering superior detection accuracy and reliability. Unlike traditional urine methods, hair tests detect drug use over a longer timeframe. This makes them preferable, especially for ensuring workplace safety and compliance. Hair analysis provides enhanced reliability, reducing instances of false negatives seen with urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in St. Helens, OR:
Through hair follicle analysis, the opportunity to detect drug use extends up to 90 days, providing employers with a detailed insight into an individual's substance history. This approach allows businesses access to a comprehensive overview, ensuring informed decisions for employment and compliance purposes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in St. Helens, OR:
Hair follicle tests significantly diminish the likelihood of sample interference, ensuring results are reliable and indisputable. Through sophisticated collection in an observed setting, hair testing ensures integrity in the process, making it a top method for trustworthy drug screening.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in St. Helens, OR:
Our comprehensive network of testing centers nationwide ensures seamless access to services. For residents in St. Helens, OR, this means no hassle and no delay in obtaining necessary tests. With efficient service delivery, our locations support both local and widespread testing needs efficiently and effectively.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in St. Helens, OR:
The process for acquiring and taking a hair follicle test is straightforward and discreet, designed to respect privacy and ease of customer use. Order and receive results with minimal hassle, ensuring personal information and test results remain confidential, giving users peace of mind throughout.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in St. Helens, OR:
Competitive pricing structures paired with quick result delivery highlight the value of our services. With options designed to suit companies of all sizes, our solutions provide great advantage in drug testing services, without compromising on quality or speed, delivering the peace of mind every organization seeks.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In St. Helens, OR, hair follicle drug tests provide fast, accurate detection of substance use, setting the bar in precision. The rapid turnaround ensures reliability for employers and individuals alike, making it the optimal choice for those needing swift results. With high accuracy rates, hair testing is trusted by many.
It offers a dependable verification method for detecting recent and historical substance use.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in St. Helens, OR:
Implementing hair follicle testing enables firms to adhere to workplace drug-free policies, diminishing legal risks and fostering a safer environment. By prioritizing this testing method, businesses can operate with confidence, knowing they are utilizing a robust screening tool that aligns with regulatory compliances.

Drug Testing Near St. Helens, OR

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Deer Island, OR

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Saint Helens, OR

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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