Hair Follicle Drug Testing - West View, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair screening has emerged as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair encapsulates a prolonged record of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers within the strands of continuously growing hair. When closely harvested from the scalp, hair can offer a detection period for alcohol and drugs stretching up to around three months. Hair collection is straightforward, reasonably tamper-resistant, and simple to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches consisting of about 200 hair strands (roughly comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, optimal for testing and verification. For EtG, additional items, and/or assessments over 10 panels, a specimen quantity of 150mg is advised. We suggest weighing the hair on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent volume of body hair may be gathered. The term head hair specifically denotes scalp hair only, whereas body hair pertains to all other types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory process for determining a drug test result encompasses four major stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the preliminary incorporation of a sample into a lab's framework. This involves ensuring that the sample is properly sealed and dispatched, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any data entry that an electronic chain of custody system may not cover.

Screening serves as a preliminary examination for substance abuse. Though Screening is a budget-friendly way to dismiss drug consumption for most samples, a positive screening requires confirmation to be acknowledged in legal settings. Samples showing a presumptive positive outcome in Screening necessitate secondary validation.

Should a sample exhibit a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, supplementary hair is drawn from the original sample and prepped for Extraction. At this juncture, drugs are gleaned from hair in much lower concentrations than in alternative procedures (such as urine or oral fluid), establishing hair drug screening as the most intricate technique to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo cleansing before confirmation as necessary. The end-to-end laboratory procedure from Accessioning through Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair drug tests can identify drug consumption for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which present a briefer detection scope.
• Hard to deceive: Manipulating a hair drug test is considerably challenging, enhancing the accuracy of results.
• Delivers historical insights: It reveals a trajectory of drug consumption across time rather than exclusively recent use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: Detection of drugs in hair requires approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically incur greater costs than other drug testing alternatives.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual disparities in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the examination actually assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in West View, PA emphasizes superior detection accuracy and reliability. Hair testing trumps urine testing with its extensive window of detection, capturing usage histories absent in the latter. This method ensures a comprehensive evaluation with detailed and robust results, ideal for adhering to stringent policies and avoiding the common pitfalls seen in traditional urine analyses.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in West View, PA offers unrivaled insight into extended drug use history. Hair follicle testing captures substance consumption over a prolonged span of up to 90 days. This method empowers employers, providing an in-depth understanding of a candidate’s drug history, thus supporting more informed hiring decisions and ensuring alignment with drug-free workplace policies.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in West View, PA ensures dependability through its robust sample collection approach. Hair follicle tests are less prone to adulteration compared to other methods. This resistance to tampering secures trustworthy outcomes, building confidence among employers and regulatory bodies that rely on accurate and unquestionable testing.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations in West View, PA underline the ease of access provided by Accredited Drug Testing’s widespread centers. With convenient sites nationwide, including West View, quick and straightforward testing is a guarantee, ensuring hassle-free services. This vast network allows for efficient service delivery and ease of maintaining testing requirements.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in West View, PA illuminates the effortless approach towards ordering and receiving results. The process is designed with transparency and confidentiality in mind. This ensures participants’ privacy, and with straightforward procedures, clients can focus on accessing prompt results without concern for privacy breaches, fostering trust and confidence.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in West View, PA reiterates the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of our services. Our competitive pricing structure is coupled with expeditious service, ensuring businesses of all sizes can benefit. This combination provides companies a high-value offering that aligns with their budgetary constraints while ensuring swift and dependable testing results.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in West View, PA highlight the efficiency of hair follicle testing. This method is renowned for delivering swift outcomes with high precision. Businesses depend on it for detecting substance intake due to its ability to furnish detailed results rapidly. Hair testing is pivotal for ensuring workplace safety and upholding stringent compliance by offering precise insights into substance use.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in West View, PA is achieved through the strategic use of hair follicle testing. Businesses gain assurance by adhering to drug-free policies, reducing potential liabilities, and promoting a safe working environment. The reliability of hair tests supports comprehensive compliance, fostering workplace peace and safeguarding both employees and employers.

Drug Testing Near West View, PA

Glenshaw, PA

Stowe Township, PA

Stowe, PA

Emsworth, PA

Ben Avon, PA

Bellevue, PA

Avalon, PA

McKnight, PA

Avon Heights, PA

Ben Avon Heights, PA

Ross Township, PA

Highcliff, PA

Laurel Gardens, PA

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews