Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Penn, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged historical record of alcohol and drug intake by capturing biomarkers in the growing hair strand. When clipped near the scalp, hair provides up to around a 3-month timeframe for detecting drugs and alcohol. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper, and straightforward to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment of approximately 200 hair strands (about a #2 pencil's thickness) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We advocate weighing the sample on a jeweler's scale. If scalp hair can't be sourced, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be collected. In discussing head hair, we refer to scalp hair only. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory process for analyzing a drug test result includes four principal steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning represents the sample's initial integration into a laboratory's system. This entails confirming the sample was sealed and delivered correctly, designating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing supplemental data entry not available through an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary, rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive result must be verified to be valid in legal settings. Any samples marked as presumptive positives in Screening necessitate additional confirmation.

When a sample is noted as presumptive positive during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample and readied for Extraction. At this phase, drugs are taken from hair at substantially reduced concentrations compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug testing the most challenging method to execute.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS confirm any positive Screening results. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before being confirmed if needed. The comprehensive laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is subject to 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 discern drug usage for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter detection periods.
• Challenge to falsify: It's exceedingly hard to falsify a hair drug test, enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical insight: It can reveal patterns of drug use over time, beyond just recent use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent intake: It takes around 5-7 days to manifest drugs in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Even though often called "hair follicle tests", the actual analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Penn, PA Hair follicle tests outshine urine tests with their unparalleled detection period, covering up to 90 days of drug use. Unlike urine tests, which detect recent drug use, hair tests survey long-term patterns.

The reliability of hair testing surpasses urine tests due to its observed collection method, minimizing tampering and ensuring accurate results, ideal for strict workplace or legal requirements.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Penn, PA Hair follicle testing offers an extensive detection timeline, going back up to 90 days, which helps employers understand an individual's long-term substance use.

This extensive window provides a detailed look into an applicant or employee's drug history, ensuring employers can make better-informed hiring and monitoring decisions based on comprehensive data.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Penn, PA The collection process for hair follicle testing is observed and tightly controlled, rendering it almost impossible for participants to tamper with or adulterate the sample.

This tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests ensures that the results obtained are both reliable and trustworthy, providing peace of mind in high-stakes environments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Penn, PA Our testing facilities are strategically placed across the country, making it convenient and straightforward for clients to access our services wherever they may be.

Residents of Penn, PA, for instance, can benefit from easily reachable testing centers that ensure a smooth and efficient testing process, thereby minimizing potential hassles.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Penn, PA The straightforward process for scheduling, conducting, and receiving results from hair follicle testing ensures user privacy and confidentiality.

This ease of use, coupled with robust privacy measures, addresses common concerns, making it a preferred choice for those requiring discretion throughout the testing process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Penn, PA Outstanding value is delivered through our competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times for hair follicle testing services.

Organizations of varied sizes can benefit from these cost-effective solutions, which provide prompt and reliable results, reinforcing the financial wisdom in selecting hair testing methodologies.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Penn, PA Hair follicle drug tests offer rapid and precise results, setting the standard for accuracy when identifying substance use. The advanced techniques employed in hair testing ensure a higher level of reliability compared to traditional methods.

With its controlled collection and sophisticated analysis, hair testing provides consistent and credible results, establishing trust amongst employers and other interested parties.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Penn, PA Employing hair follicle testing methods helps businesses adhere to drug-free workplace policies, which is critical for maintaining compliance and minimizing legal liabilities.

This approach not only enhances workplace safety but also affords employers the assurance that they are taking the necessary steps to enforce drug-related policies effectively.

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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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