Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Westland, PA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. The elongated history it offers by encapsulating biomarkers within the hair's fibers makes it invaluable. Harvested near the scalp, hair provides an approximate 3-month timeline for alcohol and drug detection. The collection is straightforward, moderately resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of approximately 200 hairs (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp, equals 100mg—the optimum quantity for testing. For EtG additions and/or assessments exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is suggested. Utilizing a jeweler's scale for weighing is advised. If scalp hair isn't an option, equivalent body hair can be sampled. When discussing head hair, we refer solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all remaining hair types (facial, axillary, and so on).

Process Overview

The procedure in the lab for processing a drug test result includes four primary phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

During Accessioning, the sample is initially introduced into the laboratory’s system. This involves ensuring that the sample is sealed and shipped correctly, assigning it a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as a rapid preliminary examination for drugs of abuse. Though it's an economical approach to rule out drug use in most specimens, positive screen results need validation for court admissibility. Any specimens indicating potential positive results in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

Should a sample indicate potential positivity during the Screening, additional hair is extracted from the primary specimen for the Extraction phase. Here, drugs are extracted from hair in significantly lower concentrations compared to alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring the inherent complexity of hair drug testing.

For confirmation of any initial positive screen, methodologies such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are employed. Any presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as required. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is subjected to review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair drug tests provide a detection period lasting up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter spans.
• Difficult to deceive: The difficulty in falsifying hair drug tests enhances their accuracy.
• Chronological data: It offers insight into an individual's drug use pattern over time, rather than solely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Hair drug testing typically incurs higher costs compared to other testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis pertains to the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Westland, PA, hair follicle tests prevail over urine methods by providing enhanced detection accuracy and reliability.

• Longer detection window, identifying up to 90 days of drug use.
• Observed collection minimizes cheating chances.

This superior detection ability offers a comprehensive overview of drug history, surpassing traditional urine tests that focus on recent usage.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing boasts an extended detection period in Westland, PA, capturing drug use history up to 90 days.

This prolonged window reveals consistent substance patterns over time, providing employers with a more thorough evaluation of an applicant or employee's drug history.

Unlike shorter-term tests, hair analysis affords a better understanding of long-term substance habits.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Westland, PA, the tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests distinguishes them as a robust drug-testing method.

This method reduces the likelihood of adulteration or fraud, ensuring the results gleaned from these tests remain robust and trustworthy.

Hair tests thus stand as a reliable choice for drug screening, offering clear-cut evidence in a transparent process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient nationwide centers, our testing locations in Westland, PA, guarantee straightforward access for all testing needs.

• Reduced travel time with local facilities.
• Efficient services ensure minimal disruption.

Access to our services is quick and simple throughout the country, ensuring efficiency and convenience for all customers.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Westland, PA, the process of ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results is both simple and confidential.

• Privacy is maintained throughout the process.
• Easy-to-follow procedures cater to all users.

Confidentiality and straightforward steps disseminate any concerns individuals may have regarding testing privacy.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable pricing and swift turnaround are hallmarks of our hair testing services in Westland, PA.

Competitive rates paired with rapid results provide substantial value. Fast processing ensures prompt responses, aiding timely decision-making for businesses.

Our affordable offerings align well with numerous budgetary needs, making quality testing accessible to everyone.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Westland, PA, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, reliable, and highly precise results, evolving as a preferred method due to their efficiency in identifying substance use.

The speed and accuracy of hair tests surpass traditional methods, ensuring dependable outcomes promptly, making them advantageous for immediate substance detection needs.

Employers and practitioners value rapid turnaround times and precise data, enhancing decision-making processes with assured accuracy.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Adhering to workplace drug policies in Westland, PA, is more assured with hair follicle testing, offering peace of mind and regulatory compliance.

Key Benefits:

• Reduces legal liabilities.
• Enhances safe work environments.

Employers gain better compliance with federal and company regulations, enhancing safety and reducing potential legal risks.

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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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