Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Summit Station, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol usage. The hair offers a comprehensive history of alcohol and other drugs by capturing biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When collected near the scalp, hair can provide a detection timeframe of up to around three months for alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch hair sample consisting of roughly 200 strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the perfect quantity for testing and confirming. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, 150mg is advised. It's best to weigh the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be gathered. When we say head hair, we mean only scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug testing lab process comprises four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

In the Accessioning stage, the sample is initially processed into the lab’s system. This step includes checking that the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, generating a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any extra data entry missing from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary rapid check for substance abuse. While it is a cost-efficient method to eliminate drug usage on most samples, a positive screening result must be validated to be court-admissible. Any samples that are tentatively positive during Screening necessitate additional confirmation.

If a sample shows a tentative positive result in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and readied for Extraction. During this step, drugs are separated from the hair at a concentration considerably lower than in alternative techniques (for instance, urine or oral fluid), indicating why hair drug testing is the most complex method to carry out.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All tentatively positive samples are cleansed prior to confirmation when necessary. The whole lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes a review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can discover drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine exams which present a shorter detection time frame.
• Difficult to fake: It is exceptionally tough to deceive a hair drug test, ensuring more precise results.
• Offers historical insights: It provides a record of drug intake over time, not merely recent usage.

Constraints:

• Cannot identify recent usage: It takes roughly 5-7 days for drugs to manifest in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically more costly than other drug testing techniques.
• Outcome variations: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth may affect the drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although often termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Summit Station, PA lies in its unmatched detection accuracy and reliability. Compared to traditional urine tests, hair analysis offers a superior assessment of drug use history. Employers benefit from the deeper insights provided, reducing the risk of undetected substance use. This method's precision ensures a dependable evaluation of an individual's drug-free status.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Summit Station, PA is a significant advantage of hair follicle testing. Over a 90-day period, this method allows for a detailed account of an individual's drug usage. Employers gain an extensive understanding of substance habits, aiding in better decision-making and ensuring workplace integrity and safety.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Summit Station, PA highlights the security of hair follicle tests, which greatly reduce sample adulteration risks. The robust nature of this test ensures legitimate and reliable results, providing peace of mind to employers and organizations aiming to maintain a strict substance use policy.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations in Summit Station, PA offer ease of access and flexibility. With centers scattered nationwide, individuals and employers benefit from quick and straightforward procedures. This comprehensive reach ensures that testing services are always nearby, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Summit Station, PA is at the core of our testing services. Ordering, undergoing the test, and receiving outcomes is streamlined to protect privacy, offering a hassle-free and confidential experience. Individuals can comfortably engage with the process knowing their information remains secure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Summit Station, PA distinguish our services by providing competitive rates paired with swift results. Ensuring value for companies of various sizes, our cost-effective approach does not compromise on the speed or quality of information delivered, granting businesses efficient and valuable drug testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Summit Station, PA are a hallmark of hair follicle drug testing. This method is known for its precision and speed, offering high accuracy in substance detection. Individuals seeking timely and trustworthy results can rely on hair tests, which provide comprehensive insights into drug usage without compromising quality or integrity.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Summit Station, PA comes with utilizing hair follicle testing. This method guarantees alignment with workplace drug-free regulations, minimizing legal liability while promoting a safe work environment. By implementing these tests, employers can confidently uphold compliance and foster a secure workplace culture.

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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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