Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Centerville, WA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is regarded as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures biomarker information within its strands, offering a historical account of substance use. Collected near the scalp, hair can reveal substance usage for up to 90 days. It is easy to gather, hard to tamper with, and simple to mail.

A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) taken closest to the scalp yields 100mg, perfect for consistent analysis. For extended tests including EtG or panels over 10, 150mg is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for accuracy. Should scalp hair be unavailable, a similar amount of body hair is suitable. "Head hair" refers solely to scalp hair; "body hair" represents all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

There are four key stages in the lab processing of drug test results: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the first phase where the sample is entered into the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample’s integrity by checking its seal and delivery, a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number) is assigned, and any data entry not covered by an electronic chain of custody system is completed.

Screening involves a preliminary and quick assessment for drugs of abuse. While being a budget-friendly approach to filter out drug consumption for most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed as evidence. Samples with positive Screening results necessitate an additional confirmation.

For presumptively positive samples in the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and prepared for Extraction. Drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other mediums (e.g., urine or oral fluid), showcasing the complexity of hair drug screening.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is accomplished by GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All samples flagged as presumptively positive are cleansed prior to confirmation if needed. The entire lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes review under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can trace drug consumption for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter detection spans.
• Minimized cheating chances: Hair drug testing is challenging to manipulate, ensuring more reliable results.
• Reports historical use: It reflects a usage pattern over time, unlike showing merely recent use.

Drawbacks:

• Unable to identify recent use: Drugs need about 5-7 days to manifest in hair.
• Expense: Hair testing often costs more than other drug testing options.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although termed "hair follicle tests", this test scrutinizes the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Centerville, WA
Hair testing surpasses traditional urine tests due to its enhanced detection capabilities and reliability. With a detection window stretching up to 90 days, hair tests provide a more comprehensive analysis. Moreover, the observed collection process minimizes chances of manipulation, making it a superior choice for many in Centerville.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Centerville, WA
The ability to detect drug use over a 90-day period gives employers a broader view of an individual's substance use history. In Centerville, this extended detection facilitates better informed hiring and monitoring decisions, revealing patterns that shorter detection methods might miss.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Centerville, WA
Hair follicle tests significantly reduce the potential for sample tampering, providing results that are both reliable and credible. The rigorous collection process in Centerville ensures sample integrity, establishing a trust in results that is hard to achieve with alternative methods.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Centerville, WA
With a network of testing centers across the nation, accessing hair testing services in Centerville is convenient and hassle-free. Our widespread locations ensure that testing is swiftly and efficiently conducted, meeting all scheduling and geographical needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Centerville, WA
Our streamlined process ensures ease and confidentiality when ordering, conducting, and receiving test results. In Centerville, these measures safeguard privacy and provide a straightforward, user-friendly experience for all parties involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Centerville, WA
Centerville businesses benefit from competitive pricing and rapid result delivery, ensuring excellent value. Our pricing model caters to companies of all sizes, offering cost-effective solutions without compromising on speed or accuracy.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Centerville, WA
Hair follicle drug tests in Centerville are renowned for their swift and precise results. The method offers a high level of accuracy, effectively identifying substance use over an extended time frame. This accuracy not only reassures stakeholders but also instills confidence when making crucial decisions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Centerville, WA
Implementing hair follicle drug tests helps Centerville employers maintain compliance with workplace policies, enhancing safety and mitigating legal risks. This method also lends peace of mind, reinforcing the company’s zero-tolerance drug policies effectively.

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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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