Accredited Drug Testing facilitates comprehensive hair follicle drug testing in Penn, Pennsylvania. For those needing a hair drug or alcohol test, Accredited Drug Testing excels in this service, with test centers in all cities across the nation that can administer hair tests. Generally, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair on the head or body is required. Tests can detect drugs, alcohol/ETG, or be customized for other hair testing needs.
Recently, hair follicle drug testing has gained popularity as a preferred method. Many employers, courts, and substance abuse professionals now require hair tests over traditional urine tests. This test is chosen by zero-tolerance employers, courts, and for probation purposes. The main advantage of hair follicle tests is their longer detection window, up to 90 days, collected under observation and hard to tamper with. However, urine tests are still best for recent drug use within 5 days.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
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:
Limitations:
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
