Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Morrisdale, PA

What it is, How it works

Seen as a compelling method, hair analysis plays a significant role in identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By integrating biomarkers in the strands, hair offers a retrospective timeline of substance usage. Hair near the scalp delivers insight into substance use over roughly three months. The ease of gathering hair samples, coupled with its resistance to tampering and simple transportability, makes it advantageous.

A strand cluster measuring 1.5 inches, encompassing about 200 hairs (akin to a #2 pencil thickness), yields 100mg, suitable for both evaluation and validation. For EtG, supplementary, and 10+ panel screenings, a mass of 150mg is advisable. Utilizing a jeweler's scale to weigh this is suggested. Should scalp hair be missing, a similar mass of body hair can suffice. “Head hair” pertains strictly to scalp hair, contrasting with “body hair” which includes all other varieties (such as facial or axillary).

Process Overview

The drug test result handling in the lab goes through four phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails introducing the sample into the lab’s database. It ensures that the sample's seal and shipping were intact, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and incorporates any lacking information not present in an electronic custody record.

Screening serves as a preliminary assessment for drug presence. It's an economical technique to negate drug consumption in most cases, but positive results necessitate verification for legal validity. Any samples appearing positive in Screening require a confirmation follow-up.

Should a Screening indicate presumptive positivity, additional hair from the sample undergoes Extraction. This entails isolating drugs from hair at reduced concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which accounts for the complexity of hair drug examinations.

Confirmations of positive results utilize GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Prior to verification, presumptive positive samples may undergo a cleansing process. The entire workflow from Accessioning through Confirmation is monitored under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation, along with compliance to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended window of detection: With a potential to uncover drug use up to 90 days, hair testing exceeds the limited timeframe offered by urine tests.
• Challenge to tamper: Due to the intricacy of fabricating hair test results, accuracy is enhanced.
• Chronology: It establishes a drug use timeline rather than focusing solely on recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Recent usage detection: Drugs require an approximate 5-7 day period before emerging in hair.
• Expense: Hair testing tends to be pricier than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors such as hair color and growth rates can influence the concentration of drug residues.

Note: While often termed "hair follicle tests", the examination actually targets the hair shaft above the scalp, not the follicle itself.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle tests to urine tests in Morrisdale, PA, it's clear that hair testing holds significant advantages.

Hair follicle tests offer superior accuracy and reliability over traditional urine tests, providing more comprehensive detection.

The ability to detect drug use over extended periods makes hair testing a more effective choice.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Morrisdale, PA, offer an extended detection window, enabling the identification of drug use over a longer period.

This method provides employers insight into an individual's substance history up to 90 days prior.

Such an extensive detection window grants a thorough understanding of potential employees' substance habits.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests in Morrisdale, PA, makes them highly reliable.

The possibility of sample adulteration is drastically reduced, offering unquestionable results.

This method ensures reliable data by mitigating the risk of sample manipulation.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient testing locations are available throughout the nation and locally in Morrisdale, PA.

This ensures quick and hassle-free access to testing services, meeting nationwide demands.

• Easy access to a network of test centers
• Seamless coordination of testing procedures

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Morrisdale, PA, is simple and confidential.

Clients can order and take the test with ease, ensuring a worry-free experience.

• Confidential handling of all test results
• Straightforward procedures to follow

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround in Morrisdale, PA, hair testing delivers excellent value.

Costs remain reasonable, making it accessible for companies of all sizes.

• Affordable pricing structures
• Swift processing and results delivery

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Morrisdale, PA, hair follicle drug testing provides fast, accurate, and reliable results.

The precision of hair follicle tests is exceptional, allowing for the identification of substance use with high accuracy.

These tests ensure rapid detection, highlighting their reliability in substance use testing.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Morrisdale, PA, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies.

Using this method reduces legal risks and improves workplace safety.

Employers gain peace of mind knowing the reliability and accuracy of hair testing supports their policies.

Drug Testing Near Morrisdale, PA

Grassflat, PA

Bigler, PA

South Philipsburg, PA

Kylertown, PA

North Philipsburg, PA

Philipsburg, PA

Wallaceton, PA

West Decatur, PA

Hawk Run, PA

Allport, PA

Morris, PA

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews