Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Atglen, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as an effective mechanism for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers an extended timeline of drug and alcohol history by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When sourced near the scalp, hair can indicate up to a three-month timeframe for detecting drugs and alcohol. This method of collection is easy, relatively resistant to tampering, and convenient for transportation.

Gathering a sample measuring 1.5 inches with roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the girth of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp provides 100mg, which is ideal for both preliminary testing and confirmation. A sample of 150mg is suggested for EtG, additional tests, and/or those exceeding 10 panels, best determined using a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be unavailable, a similar weight of body hair is acceptable. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The principal four phases in the lab analysis process for a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the foundational processing of a sample into the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was appropriately sealed and transported, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fulfills any outstanding data entry that isn’t handled by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial assessment for drugs of abuse. While it offers a cost-effective approach to eliminate drug use in most samples, a confirmation is needed for positive results to be legally defensible. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening necessitate a follow-up confirmation.

In cases where a sample tests positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. Here, drugs are isolated from hair at considerably lower concentrations than found with other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing the most intricate method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome occurs with GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples marked positive in preliminary findings undergo washing before confirmation, as necessary. The complete lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and the ISO / IEC 17025 certifications.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug testing can identify drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine testing, which offers a shorter detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: The challenge in falsifying a hair drug test enhances the reliability of results.
• Records historical usage: This test can showcase a recurring pattern of drug consumption over time, rather than just recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to catch recent use: Drugs take around 5-7 days to become detectable within hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is typically more costly than alternative testing methods.
• Variability in outcomes: Elements like hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Despite being commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the examination focuses on the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Atglen, PA outshines traditional urine tests by offering enhanced detection accuracy and reliability. Hair tests provide a more comprehensive understanding of an individual's drug history.

Compared to urine tests, hair follicle testing is less vulnerable to evasion tactics, hence offering a solid, trustworthy assessment of substance use, thanks to its sophisticated detection capabilities.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Atglen, PA offers employers an insightful view over a longer period—up to 90 days—of an applicant or employee's drug history.

This prolonged observation range is advantageous for employers seeking to maintain high workplace standards, offering a thorough check of substance use beyond more recent testing methods.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Atglen, PA, hair follicle testing significantly reduces the risks of tampering, guaranteeing dependable outcomes. Unlike other methods, these tests are harder to compromise, enhancing their reliability.

The process is designed to ensure sample integrity, making hair follicle testing a trustworthy choice for accurate drug use detection, minimizing the chances of adulterated outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing in Atglen, PA, boasts numerous nationwide and local testing centers, ensuring easy access to hassle-free services.

Our strategically located facilities across Atglen provide quick and convenient options for conducting essential drug tests, enhancing client accessibility and comfort.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Atglen, PA, is straightforward and maintains complete confidentiality, simplifying ordering, testing, and result retrieval.

This method addresses privacy concerns effectively, promoting ease of use and reliability in a discreet and secure manner for all participants involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Atglen, PA, our hair follicle testing services boast affordable pricing and fast turnaround, offering significant value and peace of mind to businesses of varying sizes.

These competitive pricing models make essential drug testing accessible to all enterprises, ensuring timely and cost-effective results management.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Atglen, PA offers fast and precise hair follicle drug tests that promise accurate detection of substance use. This testing method is renowned for its reliability, providing results that employers can trust.

The efficiency of hair follicle testing in Atglen ensures rapid turnaround times, allowing for swift availability of results. This speed, coupled with superior accuracy, positions hair testing as a preferred choice in the community.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Utilizing hair follicle testing in Atglen, PA, helps employers maintain compliance with drug-free workplace regulations, lowering legal risks and boosting workplace safety.

This testing method serves as a proactive approach for employers wishing to uphold stringent policies against drug use, ensuring a safer, more controlled 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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