Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Burton, WA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair maintains a prolonged record of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers within the strands of hair as they develop. When sampled near the scalp, hair can provide a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A hair sample measuring 1.5 inches with approximately 200 strands (comparable to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg, which is the optimal quantity for analysis and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or assessments exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. Should scalp hair be inaccessible, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. When mentioning head hair, it pertains exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four pivotal stages in the lab processing of a drug test result are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial handling of a specimen within a laboratory's framework. This includes ensuring the sample's seal and shipping integrity, allotting a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry lacking an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as a preliminary swift assessment for drug abuse. While Screening offers an economical means to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive indication requires confirmation for legal admissibility. Any samples with a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.

If a sample yields a presumptive positive during the Screening stage, additional hair is sourced from the original specimen and readied for Extraction. At this juncture, drugs are drawn out from hair at substantially lower concentrations compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug testing poses the highest complexity.

Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation where needed. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can detect drug use spanning up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection period.
• Hard to falsify: Cheating a hair drug test is quite challenging, ensuring more precise results.
• Delivers historical insight: It offers a drug use pattern over time, not just immediate use.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent use: It requires around 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Factors such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the procedure assesses the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Burton, WA, hair follicle testing excels over traditional urine tests due to its superior detection and reliability. Hair tests offer a comprehensive view of drug use thanks to their extended detection period, typically up to 90 days, providing a better assessment of an individual's substance habits.

Comparing hair tests to urine tests highlights the former's advantage in terms of longer detection periods and accuracy, making them a more viable choice when considering long-term substance history.

Extended Detection Window

In Burton, WA, hair follicle tests offer an extended detection window of up to 90 days, giving employers a broader overview of an individual's drug use history. This extensive duration enables a more thorough understanding of long-term substance use patterns.

Employers benefit from this method as it allows for a detailed look into the substance history of job candidates or employees, ensuring that hiring decisions are made with comprehensive drug use insights.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Burton, WA provides a tamper-resistant method for drug detection. The structure of hair samples and the observed collection process make this test difficult to alter, ensuring authenticity and reliability.

This robust approach significantly reduces the risk of sample adulteration, guaranteeing that results remain unquestionably reliable and accurate, instilling confidence in the outcomes provided.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Burton, WA, the convenience of nationwide testing centers is underscored by our local facilities that offer quick and easy access to drug testing services. This extensive network ensures that testing is hassle-free and accessible to those in need of our services.

Whether you are in a metropolitan area or a smaller locality, our widespread testing locations guarantee efficient service delivery, simplifying the process for both employers and individuals.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Burton, WA is both simple and confidential, ensuring privacy and ease for all involved. From ordering to receiving results, the process is designed to safeguard personal information and guarantee confidentiality throughout.

By prioritizing ease of use and discretion, we ensure that clients experience a seamless process that is respectful of their privacy concerns while delivering results efficiently.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our drug testing services in Burton, WA offer affordable pricing without compromising on the quality and speed of results. Competitive pricing ensures that companies of all sizes can access these crucial services without financial strain.

Along with cost-effectiveness, we emphasize fast turnaround times, providing prompt results that facilitate quick decision-making, offering real value to our clients.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The hair follicle drug tests conducted in Burton, WA are renowned for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. With the ability to precisely detect a wide array of substances, these tests stand out for their efficiency and dependability compared to other methods of drug screening available.

With sophisticated analytical techniques, the hair follicle test ensures high accuracy in detecting substance use. It's this precision that offers results you can trust, making it a preferred option in settings that require dependable verification.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

By adopting hair follicle testing, Burton, WA employers can ensure compliance with drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal liabilities and enhancing workplace safety. This testing method underscores a commitment to maintaining a safe, drug-free environment.

With such a comprehensive and stringent approach, employers gain peace of mind knowing that they are backed by a reliable and thorough drug testing process that aligns with company standards.

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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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