Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Red Hill, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective means of detecting substance and alcohol consumption. Hair captures biomarkers in the strands, offering an extended history of usage. When clipped near the scalp, it can reveal a roughly 3-month window of drug and alcohol intake. Hair is easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch hair snippet comprising about 200 strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) next to the scalp yields 100mg, which is the optimal sample for testing and verification. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, 150mg is advisable. Measuring the sample on a jeweler’s scale is suggested. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. By head hair, we mean specifically scalp hair. Body hair refers to any other hair, such as facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

The lab processing of a drug testing result comprises four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, a sample is initially integrated into the lab system. This includes verifying the proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigning a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry not included in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves an initial assessment for drug abuse. Although Screening is cost-efficient for excluding drug use in most cases, a positive screen must be validated for legal admissibility. Samples that test positive in Screening require further Confirmation.

If a sample shows a presumptive positive result in the Screening phase, additional hair is taken from the original sample and readied for Extraction. This step involves extracting substances from hair at much lower concentrations than other methods, such as urine or oral fluid, making hair drug testing particularly challenging.

Any positive screening outcomes are confirmed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are washed before Confirmation, where necessary. The complete lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, adheres to both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair criteria and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection range: Hair tests can reveal drug use for as long as 90 days, while urine tests cover a shorter timeframe.
• Difficult to manipulate: Hair tests are hard to manipulate, ensuring results are more credible.
• Shows usage history: It reflects a pattern of drug consumption over time, not solely recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent intake: Drugs become detectable in hair after about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be more costly than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Hair color and individual growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Despite being called "hair follicle tests", the tests analyze the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Red Hill, PA, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing with its superior detection accuracy. While traditional urine tests have their merits, hair testing offers a more comprehensive analysis of drug use patterns. This is because hair retains substances over a much longer period, providing an extended analysis window.

Hair tests are difficult to falsify, unlike urine tests, which can be tampered with more easily. This makes them a more reliable choice for organizations and individuals looking for a thorough assessment.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Red Hill, PA stands out due to its extended detection window, covering up to 90 days of drug use history. This long-term detection offers employers a comprehensive view of substance use behavior over time.

The ability to detect drug use over a longer period provides a more in-depth understanding of an individual's substance history, making it invaluable for both employers and agencies aiming to maintain a drug-free environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

One of the key advantages of hair follicle testing in Red Hill, PA is its tamper-resistant nature. Unlike other testing methods, hair tests greatly reduce the risk of sample adulteration or tampering.

This method ensures that the results are trustworthy and credible, providing a sense of security for organizations intent on implementing strict substance use policies without the worry of tampered samples.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient nationwide and local testing locations in Red Hill, PA. This widespread availability ensures that individuals and organizations find the testing process quick and hassle-free.

With easy access to our centers, testing becomes a seamless experience, providing you with reliable results without unnecessary complications.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Red Hill, PA is structured to be simple and confidential. The ease of ordering, taking the test, and receiving results ensures a user-friendly experience while maintaining privacy.

Addressing concerns regarding confidentiality, our process is designed to make sure that results are delivered exclusively to you, making it both secure and straightforward.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable pricing and fast turnaround times characterize our hair follicle testing services in Red Hill, PA. This approach provides exceptional value, ensuring that companies can maintain their drug-free policies without stretching their budgets.

Offering competitive prices and quick results, we guarantee excellent service for businesses of any size, enhancing their operations with reliable screening tools.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle tests in Red Hill, PA are renowned for their fast, precise, and reliable results. Speed and accuracy define this testing method, ensuring that substance use is detected with high reliability. This makes them an excellent choice for employers and individuals seeking peace of mind.

Compared to other methods, hair testing provides a quicker insight without compromising on accuracy. The meticulous nature of this test guarantees that detection of substance use is second to none, offering reliability.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Red Hill, PA, hair follicle testing aids employers in ensuring compliance with drug-free work policies. By reducing legal risks and enhancing workplace safety, companies can achieve peace of mind.

Using hair tests provides a reliable screening process that complements workplace initiatives to remain drug-free, fostering a safer and more productive environment for all employees.

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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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