Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Grantley, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol usage. Hair acts as a repository of long-term usage by embedding biomarkers within the hair as it grows. If procured close to the scalp, it can offer a detection span of up to three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to collect, rather resistant to tampering, and convenient to mail.

A hair sample of 1.5 inches in length, composed of roughly 200 strands (comparable to the girth of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg, which is the preferred quantity for analysis. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, 150mg is suggested. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale for specimen weighing is advised. If scalp hair is lacking, an equivalent volume of body hair may be used. When discussing head hair, it pertains solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The lab processing of drug test outcomes includes four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the initial integration of a sample into the lab's framework. This step confirms that the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any extra data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody.

Screening constitutes an initial rapid assessment for substance abuse. While cost-efficient for dismissing drug use in most samples, a non-negative screen requires validation to be accepted legally. Any samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening need further confirmation.

Presumptive positives in the Screening phase necessitate additional hair from the original sample for the Extraction phase. Here, drugs are isolated from the hair at lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making it the most challenging screening method to execute.

Any positive findings from Screening are verified using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as deemed necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under the criteria of both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug evaluations can identify drug consumption for up to 90 days, unlike urine assessments with a shorter detection horizon.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug evaluation is notably challenging, enhancing the accuracy of the results.
• Offers chronological data: It provides a timeline of drug use over an extended period, rather than just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent ingestion: Drugs typically need 5-7 days to become evident in hair.
• Costliness: Hair drug evaluations tend to be pricier than alternative testing approaches.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests," the assessment examines the hair strand, not the scalp's hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Grantley, PA, stands out when compared to traditional urine tests due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Extended detection window allows for a detailed history of substance use, providing a comprehensive view. Unlike urine tests, which are vulnerable to manipulation, hair testing offers consistent accuracy, making it the preferred choice for detecting long-term drug use.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Grantley, PA, offers employers a comprehensive view of an individual's substance use history, thanks to its extended detection window. Capable of identifying drug use over a period of up to 90 days, this testing method surpasses others, providing a complete profile of an applicant's or employee's habits. Long-term detection makes it indispensable for thorough screening processes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Grantley, PA, ensure tamper-resistant results, reducing the risk of sample adulteration. Their methodology makes it nearly impossible to manipulate samples, offering reliable and conclusive results. This integrity in testing fosters trust, as results remain untainted by attempts at deception, ensuring that decisions based on these tests are founded on accuracy.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

A major advantage in Grantley, PA, is the convenience of Accredited Drug Testing's nationwide and local centers. Easy access to testing facilities makes the process hassle-free, ensuring rapid and efficient service. The widespread network allows individuals and employers to find nearby testing locations, making testing both accessible and convenient.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Grantley, PA, the process of ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results is simple and confidential. Concerns about privacy are addressed with discretion at every step. Streamlined processes ensure ease of use, from booking to obtaining results, making the entire experience worry-free and protecting the individual's confidentiality.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, hair follicle testing in Grantley, PA, provides excellent value for all business sizes. Affordable rates paired with swift results delivery ensure that anyone can benefit from reliable testing without financial strain. The combination of cost-effectiveness and efficiency supports companies in maintaining workplace safety affordably.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Grantley, PA, the precision of hair follicle drug tests is unmatched, providing quick and reliable results. Fast analysis coupled with high detection accuracy makes it an ideal choice for those needing definitive evidence of substance use. This testing method ensures that results are not only accurate but also delivered rapidly, minimizing the waiting period traditionally associated with testing processes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Grantley, PA, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, offering peace of mind. It helps minimize legal risks by adhering to regulatory standards and enhances safety by detecting substance use effectively. Implementing this testing method supports a secure and productive work environment while assuring compliance with industry regulations.

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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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