Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Colver, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The hair can trace a long-term record of alcohol and drug use by embedding biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as it grows. Hair taken near the scalp can indicate up to a three-month detection period for both alcohol and other drugs. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch section consisting of roughly 200 hairs (around the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp equals 100mg of hair, which is the perfect sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests over 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It is recommended to weigh the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, a similar amount of body hair can be used instead. "Head hair" pertains only to scalp hair, while "body hair" includes all other types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary steps in processing a lab drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning concerns the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory's system. It involves confirming that the sample was sealed and dispatched correctly, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and carrying out any extra data entry that may not have been provided by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary check for drug abuse. Although a cost-efficient approach to eliminate drug usage in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be valid in legal proceedings. A secondary confirmation is necessary for all samples that produce a presumptive positive result during Screening.

If a sample turns up presumptively positive in the Screening phase, more hair is taken from the original specimen to prepare for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at much lower concentration levels than other approaches (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging technique to execute.

Positive screening results undergo Confirmation via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples get washed before confirmation if required. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can recognize drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is extremely tough, thus providing more precise results.
• Supplies historical data: It offers a pattern of drug use over time, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to identify recent use: It requires about 5-7 days for drugs to be detectable in hair.
• Expenses: Hair drug tests often cost more than other drug testing techniques.
• Result discrepancies: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth variations can impact the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Though commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis is performed on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Colver, PA, hair follicle testing outshines urine tests due to its superior accuracy and reliability. The advantages of hair testing become evident when assessing drug use history. Unlike urine tests, which focus on recent drug use, hair analysis provides a broader detection window, ensuring drug history is comprehensively evaluated, leaving employers with enhanced trust in the results.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Colver, PA, offers an extended detection window that can identify drug use over a span of up to 90 days. This extensive timeframe provides employers with valuable insights into an applicant or employee's substance history, offering a clearer picture of their long-term behavior and aiding in informed decision-making.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Providing Colver, PA with a reliable testing method, hair follicle tests significantly reduce the risk of sample tampering. The integrity of the testing process is maintained due to the inherent nature of hair samples that are less prone to adulteration, ensuring results are both valid and indisputable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Colver, PA, and beyond, the convenience of nationwide and local testing centers stands out. Our network provides quick, accessible, and hassle-free services, ensuring clients can conduct necessary testing with ease, no matter their location, and enjoy the reassurance of consistent support across the board.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process in Colver, PA, for hair follicle drug testing is seamless and confidential. Ordering a test, undergoing testing, and obtaining results is straightforward and respects personal privacy. This emphasis on ease and discretion ensures that users can proceed with confidence, reassured by a user-centric approach.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering Colver, PA, competitive pricing and fast results, our hair follicle drug testing services stand out for their affordability and efficiency. The combination of cost-effective solutions and quick turnaround times provides excellent value, making our services appealing to businesses of various sizes seeking both quality and economic benefits.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Colver, PA, hair follicle drug testing is recognized for delivering fast, precise, and trustworthy results. The testing process is meticulously designed to ensure that substance use is detected efficiently. Compared to other methods, hair testing offers unparalleled accuracy, making it the preferred choice for those seeking reliable results quickly.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Colver, PA companies find compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing. This method supports drug-free workplace policies, mitigates potential legal risks, and underscores a commitment to safety. Employers gain reassurance knowing their procedures align with industry standards and regulatory requirements, fostering a safe 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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