Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Spring Mount, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. This is due to hair's ability to capture long-term histories of alcohol and other drugs by encasing biomarkers in the strands as they grow. When collected from the scalp, hair offers up to a 3-month detection period for alcohol and other substances. Hair samples are easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches consisting of about 200 hair strands (about the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is an optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For additional tests such as EtG, or those exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. Using a jeweler's scale to weigh the specimen is suggested. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, a comparable amount of body hair can be collected. When we mention head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair refers to other types of hair like facial or axillary hair.

Process Overview

There are four primary steps in the lab processing of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the preliminary process of integrating a sample into the laboratory system. This involves checking that the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigning a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional information not handled by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening acts as an initial check to detect drugs of abuse. Although Screening is cost-efficient for ruling out drug use in most samples, a positive result needs confirmation for court validity. Samples with presumptive positives in Screening need a confirmatory test.

If a sample tests positive in Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial sample and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are retrieved from the hair at far lesser concentrations compared to other methods like urine or oral fluids, making hair drug screening one of the most challenging techniques.

Confirmation of any positive Screening results is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positive results are washed before confirmation if required. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, adheres to both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation criteria.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can detect drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter timeframe.
• Hard to falsify: Cheating a hair drug test is quite difficult, resulting in more reliable outcomes.
• Reveals historical usage: It offers a record of drug use over a time period, beyond immediate use.

Limitations:

• Can't detect recent usage: It generally takes 5-7 days for drugs to become traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be pricier than other methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually focuses on the hair strand rather than the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Spring Mount, PA, surpasses traditional urine tests with its superior detection accuracy and reliability. While urine tests are the norm, hair testing provides a comprehensive perspective on substance use history, ensuring employers gain valuable insights. Hair tests are less prone to tampering and present a clearer detection picture.

Extended Detection Window

In Spring Mount, PA, hair follicle testing illustrates its effectiveness with an extended detection window of up to 90 days. This expanded timeframe allows employers to evaluate an applicant's or employee's substance history comprehensively, promoting a more informed hiring or retention decision-making process.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The hair follicle test in Spring Mount, PA, minimizes the risk of sample tampering, delivering unassailable and trustworthy results. This testing approach provides a significant advantage over traditional methods, markedly reducing the likelihood of adulteration and ensuring accurate substance use verification.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

The convenience of nationwide and local testing centers in Spring Mount, PA, ensures that accessing our services is quick, easy, and hassle-free. Our widespread facility network guarantees that scheduling a testing appointment is seamless and efficient, reflecting our commitment to convenience and accessibility.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Spring Mount, PA, is characterized by its simplicity and confidentiality. Our uncomplicated procedure for ordering, conducting, and receiving test results assures privacy and ease for all participants, addressing critical concerns with a caring and user-friendly approach.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Spring Mount, PA, our hair follicle testing solutions feature affordable pricing and fast turnaround. These competitive pricing structures, coupled with quick results, deliver remarkable value and assurance to businesses of various sizes, supporting strategic decision-making with timely precision.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The precision and rapidity of hair follicle drug tests in Spring Mount, PA, offer distinct advantages. With exceptionally high detection accuracy, these tests ensure substance use is reliably identified. Fast, accurate, and reliable results make them an invaluable tool for individuals and organizations alike, offering peace of mind with each analysis.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Spring Mount, PA, gain compliance and peace of mind through the adoption of hair follicle tests. Ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace policies, these tests help reduce legal risks while enhancing safety and boosting employee confidence in a secure working environment.

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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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