Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Mount Pleasant Mills, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol usage. It offers a prolonged historical view of substance use by encapsulating biomarkers within the fibers of the hair as it grows. When hair is collected near the scalp, it can reveal up to a 90-day detection period for drugs and alcohol. The process of collecting hair is straightforward, it’s relatively tamper-resistant, and shipping is convenient.

A 1.5-inch portion of around 200 strands of hair (approximate size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg, which is ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG testing, additional assessments, or tests exceeding 10 panels, a specimen of 150mg is advisable. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample is recommended. In cases where scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. 'Head hair' specifically pertains to scalp hair, whereas 'body hair' encompasses other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four fundamental stages in the lab processing of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the initial intake of a sample into a lab’s system, ensuring the sample was sealed and sent correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and handling any extra data input missing from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial rapid assessment for the presence of drugs of abuse. While cost-efficient for ruling out drug use in most cases, a positive screen must be verified to be admissible in legal contexts. Any samples that are presumptive positives in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

If a sample shows a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, more hair is drawn from the original sample to commence Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at a significantly reduced concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug tests the most challenging to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive Screening result is achieved via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methodologies. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation as required. The complete laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited per the ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that offer a shorter detection period.
• Hard to circumvent: Hair drug tests are very challenging to falsify, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical insight: It can reveal a pattern of drug usage over time, not just recent intake.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: Drugs become observable in hair in approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be more costly compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Factors like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Despite being called "hair follicle tests", the examination focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, hair follicle drug testing surpasses traditional urine testing due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Hair testing not only extends the detection window but also provides a more foolproof method than urine tests, minimizing the risk of adulteration and ensuring a comprehensive assessment of substance use.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, offers an extensive detection window of up to 90 days, allowing employers to gain insight into an individual's drug usage history. This prolonged detection period enables a thorough evaluation of a potential hire or current employee's substance habits, essential for maintaining a drug-free workplace.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests significantly reduces concerns about sample adulteration in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA. This testing method ensures that results are both reliable and unquestionable, providing employers with peace of mind about the authenticity of the drug test outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our testing centers in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, are part of a convenient nationwide network, ensuring effortless access to drug testing services. This widespread availability makes it simple for individuals and employers to find a nearby testing location, providing hassle-free service.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, the process for hair follicle drug testing is straightforward and confidential. From ordering the test to obtaining results, each step ensures privacy and ease of use, addressing personal concerns about confidentiality and process complexity.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and swift results, our hair follicle drug testing services in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, provide great value. Our fast turnaround times and affordable prices ensure that businesses of all sizes can conveniently manage their drug testing needs without excessive expenditure.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, hair follicle drug testing is acknowledged for its swift and precise outcomes. The high accuracy of these tests ensures that even small traces of substance use are reliably detected, giving a clear indication of an individual's drug history. Compared to other methods, hair testing consistently provides faster results with enhanced accuracy.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Mount Pleasant Mills, PA, can achieve compliance with drug-free workplace policies through hair follicle testing. By reducing the risk of substance abuse, this method enhances workplace safety and diminishes legal liabilities, offering employers peace of mind.

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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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