Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Marietta, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a key method for identifying drug and alcohol use. By ensnaring biomarkers within the tuft of the growing hair shaft, hair reveals a prolonged record of alcohol and other drug usage. When taken close to the scalp, hair can reveal a drug and alcohol detection period of up to approximately three months. Collection of hair is straightforward, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and simple to send.

A hair specimen of 1.5 inches, roughly 200 strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil), taken nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg, an ideal quantity for both screening and confirmation. In cases of EtG, add-ons, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, a specimen of 150mg is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample is recommended. Should scalp hair be unavailable, a similar amount of body hair is an acceptable substitute. When referring to head hair, it is specifically about scalp hair. All other hair categories (facial, axillary, etc.) are regarded as body hair.

Process Overview

The laboratory process leading to a drug test result consists of four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the preliminary integration of a sample into a lab's database. This step involves ensuring the sample’s seal and shipment integrity, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any ancillary data absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an expedited evaluation for drugs of misuse. Although Screening serves as an economical approach to negate drug presence in most cases, a confirmed positive screen is necessary for it to be valid in legal proceedings. Any sample that yields a presumptive positive in Screening requires a follow-up confirmation.

In instances of presumptive positive results in the Screening phase, additional hair is taken from the original sample and readied for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are garnered from the hair at much lesser concentrations in comparison to other methods like urine or oral fluid, rendering hair drug screening the most complex methodology.

Confirmation of any positive screen is achieved through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The entire laboratory sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation criteria.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair drug evaluations can identify drug use spanning up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a narrower detection period.
• Challenges in deception: Attempting to deceive a hair drug test proves exceedingly difficult, thus ensuring greater result accuracy.
• Historical insight: It reveals drug usage trends over an interval, not merely new usage.

Limitations:

• Incapable of identifying recent use: A window of approximately 5-7 days is required post-consumption before drugs become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug evaluations are typically costlier than alternate drug testing techniques.
• Result variability: Hair color and personal differences in hair growth may influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Commonly mistaken as "hair follicle tests", the assessment actually examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Marietta, PA, hair follicle testing presents distinct advantages over traditional urine testing. Hair tests offer a longer detection window, making them more effective in chronic drug use detection.
The accuracy of hair analyses often exceeds that of urine tests, as hair tests are less susceptible to recent abstinence or consumption patterns.

Employers find hair follicle testing more reliable and consistent in maintaining drug-free environments, thanks to its superior ability to detect a range of substances over time, ensuring thorough and credible evaluations.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Marietta, PA, offers a considerable detection period of up to 90 days, surpassing traditional methods. This extensive window gives employers a holistic understanding of an individual’s substance history.
With this prolonged detection capacity, hair tests facilitate informed decisions in hiring and maintaining safety.

Employers seeking long-term substance use patterns benefit from hair testing's ability to unravel not just the recent past but the broader behavioral trends of an employee or applicant, fortifying support for drug-free work policies.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Marietta, PA, provide a notably tamper-resistant evaluation method. The collection process is observed, significantly diminishing the prospects of sample adulteration.
Such reliability offers organizations peace of mind, knowing they receive genuine and indisputable results.

This integrity is crucial for employers enforcing strict drug policies, ensuring that test results reflect true substance use without the risk of manipulation, thereby solidifying ethical compliance and safety.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing's network offers convenient access to testing centers across Marietta, PA, and nationwide. These locations provide ease of service for individuals and companies alike.
Nationwide facilities ensure swift, hassle-free compliance with testing requirements, reinforcing commitment to community safety.

Local availability ensures that Marietta residents and businesses can effortlessly meet their testing needs without the challenge of long-distance travel.
Our infrastructure strengthens trust and convenience in drug testing services.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Marietta, PA, testing with Accredited Drug Testing is streamlined and confidential. The straightforward process from order to results ensures privacy and ease for all participants.
Our commitment to confidentiality emboldens individuals apprehensive about exposure, fostering trust in our secure testing system.

With an emphasis on user experience, we ensure smooth transactions whether scheduling an appointment or receiving results, curbing any concerns about complexity or confidentiality breaches.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing offers affordable pricing and rapid turnaround times in Marietta, PA. Our competitive pricing ensures excellent value for businesses of all scopes and sizes.
A swift result delivery enhances operational efficiency, allowing employers to act quickly based on reliable findings.

Our pricing structure guarantees quality service without excess financial burdens, reinforcing peace of mind across our client base, emphasizing both cost-effectiveness and speed.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Marietta, PA, hair follicle drug tests deliver fast, precise, and trustworthy outcomes. The refined detection abilities of hair tests allow accurate identification of substance use, promoting confidence in the results provided to employers and individuals alike.
Employers seeking dependable data prefer hair tests due to their enhanced reliability compared to other test types.

The swiftness of result turnaround ensures that assessments are processed rapidly, facilitating informed decision-making in hiring and compliance procedures. Hair testing's precision is irrefutable, leading to increased acceptance among professionals managing workplace safety and compliance with drug policies.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Marietta, PA, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace initiatives, minimizing legal vulnerabilities.
The reliability of hair testing provides organizations with peace of mind, reinforcing safety and trust within the workplace.

By choosing hair tests, employers maintain adherence to policy standards and regulatory frameworks, reducing risks and fostering a culture centered on safety and adherence to substance guidelines.

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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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