Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Prospect, TN

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair provides an extended history of substance use by capturing biomarkers in the fibers of the advancing hair strand. When collected near the scalp, hair can offer roughly up to a 3-month periods for detecting alcohol and drug presence. The collection process is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch sample, consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp, yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or testing that exceeds 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advised. Use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair isn’t available, a similar amount of body hair may be used. “Head hair” refers exclusively to scalp hair, while “body hair” encompasses other types (e.g., facial and axillary hair).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result consists of four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the fundamental processing of a sample into the lab’s system. This process includes ensuring the sample was properly sealed and dispatched, providing a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any other data entry not handled by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary inspection for drug abuse indicators. While it serves as a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug use in most samples, a positive indication requires further confirmation to hold up in legal procedures. Samples with presumptive positive results in Screening necessitate a secondary verification.

For samples deemed presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair from the original sample is taken and made ready for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from the hair at concentrations significantly lower than those used in other testing methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening a challenging methodology.

Confirmation of any positive result from screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Samples with presumptive positives are cleaned before confirmation as needed. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection periods: Hair drug tests can reveal drug usage for up to 90 days, in contrast to urine tests that have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Tough to falsify: Cheating a hair drug test is quite challenging, enhancing result accuracy.
• Offers historical insights: It provides a record of drug use patterns over time, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent use: Roughly 5-7 days are required for drugs to appear in hair samples.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically costlier than alternative testing methods.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and individual differences in hair growth may influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests," this method evaluates the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Prospect, TN, hair follicle testing emerges as superior to traditional urine tests due to its extended detection window and accuracy. With the ability to detect drug use over a period of up to 90 days, hair tests surpass urine tests that only capture recent drug use.
For employers and professionals, hair testing offers a more thorough and trustable method of assessing an individual's substance use history.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Prospect, TN, provides an extended detection window of up to 90 days, offering employers a comprehensive overview of an individual's substance use history.
This long-term detection capacity allows potential employers to make more informed decisions by analyzing patterns of drug use over a substantial period, ensuring thorough insights into an individual's habits.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Prospect, TN, hair follicle tests exemplify a tamper-resistant approach to drug testing. The nature of the testing reduces the risk of sample adulteration, providing results that are both reliable and unquestionable.
Employers and institutions can trust in the integrity of the hair test results, confident that the chances of falsification are minimal.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing locations both nationwide and locally in Prospect, TN, Accredited Drug Testing offers unmatched convenience. Our testing centers ensure that the process is quick, easy, and hassle-free for everyone involved.
Whether you are in a major city or somewhere local, our extensive network guarantees access to tests when and where you need them.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Prospect, TN, our drug testing process stands out for its simplicity and confidentiality. The procedures for ordering, taking, and receiving results are straightforward and respect your privacy.
Understanding the importance of discretion, our process is designed to alleviate concerns, ensuring a comfortable experience from start to finish.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing in Prospect, TN, prides itself on offering competitive pricing and swift turnaround times. This blend of affordability and speed delivers exceptional value, ensuring peace of mind for businesses large and small.
Our pricing models are crafted to suit various budgets, while still providing the high-quality service you expect.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Prospect, TN, hair follicle drug tests provide fast, accurate, and trustworthy results. Their precision in identifying substance use is unparalleled, ensuring that results are both swift and reliable.
The quickness of obtaining test results combined with the precision of these tests makes them an attractive option for various testing needs, offering both businesses and individuals the necessary insights into drug use.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Prospect, TN, gain both compliance and peace of mind through hair follicle testing. This method ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies, significantly cutting down on legal risks while enhancing overall workplace safety.
This reliable testing reinforces proactive approaches to maintaining drug-free environments, aligning with organizational goals of safety and compliance.

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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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