Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lynch, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now regarded as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair can capture a comprehensive history of alcohol and drug usage by securing biomarkers within the strands of maturing hair. If collected near the scalp, hair may offer a detection range of up to around three months for both alcohol and drugs. Collection of hair is straightforward, relatively resistant to tampering, and convenient for shipping.

A 1.5-inch section comprising roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, a specimen amounting to 150mg is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is recommended. If scalp hair is not available, a comparable quantity of body hair might be used. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair categories (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory process for drug test results consists of four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory's workflow. This step ensures that the sample was properly sealed and transported, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and concludes any supplementary data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary assessment for drugs of abuse. This stage serves as an economical approach to eliminate possible drug usage for the majority of samples. However, to be valid in legal proceedings, a positive screening result requires confirmation. Samples that yield a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate an additional confirmation.

Upon a presumptive positive result during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original specimen for the Extraction phase. This phase involves removing drugs from hair at concentrations markedly lower than those in alternative methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug screening a challenging task.

Confirmation of any positive screened result is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, all presumptive positive samples undergo washing as necessary. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes a review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for as long as 90 days, whereas urine tests offer a shorter detection span.
• Resistance to tampering: Cheating on a hair drug test is extremely challenging, offering more precise results.
• Historical insight: It can exhibit a drug use timeline over a duration, not just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Unable to discern immediate use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is typically more costly than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites within hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the test itself examines the hair strand and does not involve the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Lynch, PA offers distinct advantages over traditional urine tests. The most notable benefit is its superior detection accuracy that can identify drug use for up to 90 days, providing a more comprehensive substance use history.

Unlike urine tests, hair testing is less susceptible to falsification, offering employers and organizations reliable results without the risk of manipulation or deception.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Lynch, PA makes it an invaluable tool for employers seeking a thorough understanding of an individual’s drug use. Capable of tracing substances up to 90 days back, this method offers unprecedented insight.

This comprehensive detection period aids employers in ensuring a safe and drug-free workplace by providing data that spans beyond the mere immediate past.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Lynch, PA is a tamper-resistant method that ensures the integrity of test results. This method significantly minimizes the risk of sample adulteration, providing results that are both reliable and incontestable.

The robust nature of hair testing deters attempts at manipulation, offering stakeholders a dependable solution for substance detection that maintains high standards of credibility.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

The presence of convenient nationwide testing locations, including those in Lynch, PA, guarantees easy and swift access to our services. Our expansive network ensures that testing is both local and hassle-free for all clients.

Accredited Drug Testing centers across the country support rapid service delivery, ensuring that individuals and organizations can partake in testing without inconvenience.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Lynch, PA is straightforward and confidential. Customers can easily order tests, take them, and receive results with assurance of privacy and user-friendliness.

This simplified and discreet procedure addresses any privacy concerns, ensuring all stakeholders are comfortable and informed throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing offers competitive pricing and swift turnaround times in Lynch, PA, delivering excellent value to companies across various sizes. Our pricing structure is designed to be cost-effective while maintaining high-quality service.

Employers benefit from affordable testing options that do not compromise on speed or accuracy, enabling them to make informed decisions promptly and efficiently.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Lynch, PA, hair follicle drug testing is renowned for its fast, accurate, and dependable results. This method offers superior precision in substance detection, which is crucial for timely and reliable outcomes.

The high accuracy of hair follicle testing ensures that even the most minute traces of drugs are detected quickly, providing a trustworthy analysis that meets the demand for accurate and rapid results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Lynch, PA, adopting hair follicle testing ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies. This compliance enhances safety and reduces legal risks associated with substance abuse within the workforce.

Hair testing provides peace of mind to employers by helping maintain a secure and efficient working environment, demonstrating a commitment to upholding regulatory 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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