Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Hendersonville, PA

What it is, How it works

The utilization of hair testing is recognized as an effective approach for detecting substance and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-standing record of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as it grows. When collected near the scalp, hair can reveal alcohol and drug use for up to roughly a three-month span. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch section comprising around 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil's thickness) closest to the scalp yields 100mg, the ideal quantity for analysis and confirmation. For EtG tests, additional screenings, and tests beyond 10-panel, a 150mg specimen is advised. It's recommended to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent volume of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, we refer strictly to scalp hair. The term body hair covers all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

Processing a drug test in the laboratory involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is about the initial incorporation of a sample into the lab’s system, ensuring the sample was correctly sealed and sent, allotting a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any extra data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody method.

Screening is a preliminary quick assessment for abused drugs. Whilst Screening is economically efficient for excluding drug use in most samples, any positive screen must be confirmed for court acceptance. Samples presumed positive in Screening necessitate a secondary verification.

Should a sample signal a presumptive positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and readied for Extraction. At this phase, drugs are drawn out from hair at notably lower concentrations than with other approaches (e.g., urine or oral fluid), posing a challenge to hair drug screening processes.

Confirming any positive screening result is accomplished using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to needed confirmation. The comprehensive lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and the ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection span: Hair drug assessments can reveal drug usage for up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests with shorter detection periods.
• Hard to manipulate: It's notably challenging to deceive a hair drug test, ensuring more reliable outcomes.
• Reveals historical data: It can outline a pattern of drug usage across a duration, not merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs become detectable in hair after about 5-7 days.
• Higher cost: Hair drug tests tend to be pricier than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth variations may impact the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Despite being commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the test scrutinizes the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests, especially in Hendersonville, PA. The superior detection period of hair tests offers a more comprehensive view of substance use history, while the reliability of these tests minimizes false positives.
Employers seeking stringent drug-free policies will benefit from the high accuracy and reduced chance of manipulation that hair testing provides.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Hendersonville, PA excels in identifying drug use over extended periods, offering a detection window of up to 90 days. This capability provides employers a thorough understanding of an employee's or applicant's substance use history.
By reflecting a broader timeline, this testing method is ideal for organizations prioritizing safety and compliance.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Hendersonville, PA greatly diminish the risk of sample tampering, ensuring the integrity of the results. The observed nature of the collection process further ensures that the sample remains uncontaminated.
These tests are nearly immune to adulteration, providing employers with trustworthy and reliable outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing centers nationwide and locally in Hendersonville, PA, accessing hair follicle drug testing is simple and convenient. Accredited Drug Testing offers extensive coverage, ensuring you can easily find a location near you.
Our widespread presence facilitates seamless and hassle-free testing experiences, accommodating all needs efficiently.

Simple, Confidential Process

The simple and confidential process for hair follicle testing in Hendersonville, PA is designed for ease of use. Once ordered, the test allows for straightforward collection with assured privacy.
Results are delivered confidentially, protecting your privacy at every step, thus addressing any concerns about confidentiality and simplicity.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround, hair follicle testing in Hendersonville, PA delivers excellent value. The affordability of these tests makes them accessible to businesses of all sizes,
ensuring quick and precise results to foster a safe workplace environment without stretching budgets.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Hendersonville, PA, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for providing rapid, accurate, and reliable results. These tests are designed to detect substance use with a high level of precision, making them a preferred choice for ensuring accurate screening.
The quick processing time and accuracy of these tests streamline the evaluation process, ensuring timely results for employers and individuals alike.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Hendersonville, PA relying on hair follicle testing benefit from compliance with workplace drug policies, significantly reducing legal exposure. By ensuring a drug-free environment, these tests bring peace of mind and enhance safety.
Hair testing aligns with stringent policy requirements, making it an effective tool for maintaining workplace standards.

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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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