Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Jennerstown, PA

What it is, How it works

The effectiveness of hair testing has made it a formidable method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a comprehensive history of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of growing strands. Typically collected near the scalp, hair samples can reveal substance use for up to about three months. This collection method is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to dispatch.

A 1.5-inch segment comprising roughly 200 hair strands (approximating the diameter of a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is perfect for screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, it's advised to collect 150mg of the sample. Using a jeweler's scale to weigh the specimen is advisable. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. When we refer to head hair, it means scalp hair exclusively. The term body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four primary steps in the lab processing of a drug testing result are: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning incorporates the preliminary handling of a sample within a lab’s system. This entails confirming the sample’s sealed and proper mailing, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry if an electronic chain of custody system hasn’t provided it.

Screening constitutes a quick initial examination for drug abuse. While it's a cost-efficient means to exclude drug utilization in most samples, a positive result must be confirmed to be valid in court. Instances of presumptive positives in screening necessitate secondary confirmation.

In cases where a sample is presumptive positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and prepped for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at a considerably lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluids), rendering hair drug screening as the most demanding method to execute.

Confirmation of any presumptive positive screening is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptive positive samples are washed as needed. This comprehensive lab process from Accessioning through to Confirmation undergoes review 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 identify drug use for up to 90 days, while urine tests have a fleeting detection period.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is extremely difficult, lending more precision to the results.
• Records historic use: It can furnish patterns of substance use over time, not limiting to immediate use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent usage: It typically takes 5-7 days for substances to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests often cost more than other testing approaches.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and individual discrepancies in hair growth may influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests," the examination targets the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Jennerstown, PA, hair follicle testing takes precedence over urine testing due to its superior detection abilities. Hair tests offer extended periods of drug use detection, up to 90 days. They are far more reliable, ensuring accurate and unbiased assessments.

While urine tests are standard, hair follicle testing excels in accuracy and reliability, especially for long-term drug use detection. Employers and courts in Jennerstown now often opt for hair testing, ensuring greater compliance with safety standards.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Jennerstown, PA, gives a window into an individual’s substance history spanning up to 90 days. This extended detection window is beneficial for employers seeking a comprehensive understanding of an applicant or employee's drug habits.

With hair tests, employers in Jennerstown gain insights into prolonged substance use, offering a much broader view than standard tests. This extended detection period is essential in maintaining safety and compliance in the workplace.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Jennerstown, PA, hair follicle testing dramatically reduces the risk of sample adulteration. The test is conducted in an observed process, offering highly reliable and unquestionable results.

Hair tests provide confidence in the integrity of results, ensuring Jennerstown employers receive accurate and tamper-resistant data. Reducing the risk of alterations makes it ideal for various drug-free initiatives.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing in Jennerstown, PA, offers convenient nationwide testing centers for hassle-free hair follicle testing services. Our robust network ensures individuals have easy access to essential testing.

Whether in Jennerstown or across the nation, our clients benefit from a seamless testing experience. Convenient locations provide the necessary support for timely and efficient drug testing processes.

Simple, Confidential Process

With a focus on simplicity and confidentiality in Jennerstown, PA, our hair follicle testing process ensures privacy concerns are addressed efficiently. Ordering, testing, and receiving results are straightforward and secure.

Customers enjoy a simple and confidential process designed to safeguard personal information while providing clear instructions and prompt results, ensuring peace of mind throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing in Jennerstown, PA, offers cost-effective pricing and quick turnaround times, making our hair follicle testing accessible for businesses of all sizes.

Competitive pricing structures in Jennerstown ensure excellent value. Fast turnaround times further enhance our services, providing the necessary balance of cost-effectiveness and reliability that businesses seek.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests in Jennerstown, PA, ensure fast, accurate, and reliable results. Hair tests are sought after for their high accuracy in detecting substance use, providing peace of mind to those who need dependable outcomes quickly.

Hair follicle testing offers a reliable solution, capturing a person's drug use with greater accuracy. In Jennerstown, clients appreciate the swift turnaround and trustworthiness, making it a preferred method for employers and professionals alike.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Jennerstown, PA, find peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This method reduces legal risks and enhances overall safety.

Through reliable testing methods, Jennerstown companies can confidently enforce zero-tolerance policies, reducing potential liabilities and maintaining safer, more productive environments.

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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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