Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Kerrtown, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a robust method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair strands encapsulate biomarkers within their growing fibers, offering a long-term overview of substance use. When collected near the scalp, hair can reveal alcohol and drug intake over approximately a three-month duration. It is easy to collect hair samples, which are challenging to alter and convenient to transport.

Collecting a 1.5-inch section of around 200 hair strands (approximating a #2 pencil's thickness) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, optimal for screening and confirmation tests. For EtG, add-ons, or testing beyond 10 panels, 150mg of hair is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample is advisable. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. Head hair refers strictly to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses facial, axillary, and other types.

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of drug test results includes four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial sample processing within a laboratory’s system. This step ensures proper sample sealing and shipping, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any requisite additional data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening performs a preliminary assessment for drugs of abuse. While this cost-effective method can eliminate drug usage in most cases, positive screenings necessitate confirmation for legal admissibility. Presumptively positive samples during Screening mandate secondary confirmation.

For samples showing presumptive positivity during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial specimen for the Extraction phase, where drugs are removed from hair at notably lower concentrations than with other methods (such as urine or oral fluid). This makes hair drug screening notably challenging to perform.

Confirmation of positive screening outcomes is achieved through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Necessary presumptively positive samples undergo washing before confirmation. The process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days back, unlike urine tests that have shorter detection spans.
• Difficulty to cheat: Cheating on a hair drug test is exceptionally difficult, enhancing result accuracy.
• Provides historical data: The tests reveal a usage pattern over time, not just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Drugs take approximately 5-7 days to become traceable in hair.
• Cost: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs than alternative testing methods.
• Variations in results: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence the metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis examines the hair strand, not the subscalp hair follicle.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Comparing hair follicle and urine tests shows significant advantages for hair testing in Kerrtown, PA. Hair tests provide better detection accuracy and are less susceptible to evasion.

• Longer substance detection window.
• Greater accuracy and reliability.
• Less prone to tampering.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing offers a far-reaching detection window, spanning up to 90 days, giving employers in Kerrtown, PA, critical insights into an individual’s substance history.

• Extended period review beyond standard tests.
• Comprehensive substance use history.
• Informed decision-making for employers.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

By utilizing hair follicle tests in Kerrtown, PA, the risk of sample tampering is drastically reduced, providing highly reliable and undeniable results.

• Resistant to adulteration techniques.
• Ensures sample integrity.
• Unquestionable accuracy.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our nationwide network of testing centers, including those in Kerrtown, PA, provides easy access to testing services, ensuring a seamless, hassle-free process for all clients.

• Convenient local test sites.
• Efficient service across the country.
• Access for organizations of all sizes.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Kerrtown, PA, is designed to be simple and confidential, making it easy for clients to order, take tests, and receive results with privacy maintained.

• User-friendly ordering system.
• Discreet testing procedure.
• Confidential result delivery.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times, hair follicle testing in Kerrtown, PA, is both cost-effective and efficient, providing businesses with excellent value.

• Affordable pricing options.
• Quick result processing.
• High value and peace of mind for all companies.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Speed, accuracy, and reliability define hair follicle drug tests in Kerrtown, PA. Hair testing offers precision in identifying substance use, ensuring that results are both thorough and prompt.

• Accurate detection of a range of substances.
• Reduced waiting times compared to other methods.
• Ensures fast results without compromising integrity.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For businesses in Kerrtown, PA, hair testing aligns with compliance and enhances peace of mind, reinforcing drug-free policies and minimizing legal risks.

• Compliance with workplace safety standards.
• Reduces liability through reliable testing.
• Strengthens policy enforcement.

Drug Testing Near Kerrtown, PA

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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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