Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is now recognized as an effective approach for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains biomarkers within its strands, offering an extended overview of alcohol and drug use. When hair is sourced near the scalp, it can reveal substance use for up to about 90 days. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.
A segment of hair measuring 1.5 inches with approximately 200 strands (similar to the width of a #2 pencil) near the scalp should yield 100mg, optimal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of hair is advised. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to measure the hair sample is recommended. If scalp hair is not an option, equivalent body hair may be used. "Head hair" pertains exclusively to scalp hair, while "body hair" covers all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four primary steps in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the sample's initial intake into the laboratory system. This process ensures proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and includes any extra data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody.
Screening is a preliminary assessment for drugs of abuse. While cost-efficient for excluding drug usage from most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation for court acceptability. Presumptively positive samples need further confirmation.
When a sample tests presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the sample and readied for Extraction. In Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at concentrations lower than other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.
GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS are methods used for Confirmation of positive screenings. Any presumptive positives undergo washing before confirmation if needed. The entire process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and aligns with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being called "hair follicle tests", the test evaluates the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Lake City, WA recognizes the superiority of hair follicle testing over traditional urine tests. This advanced approach ensures greater detection accuracy and significantly increased reliability.
Compared to urine tests, hair analysis offers a distinct benefit with its wider detection window and a collection process that is more secure, making it a superior choice for organizations demanding precise results.
Employers in Lake City, WA value the extended detection period provided by hair follicle tests. Able to reveal drug use for up to 90 days, these tests provide a thorough view of an individual's substance history.
This longer timeframe offers employers insight into their workforce's behavior, empowering informed decision-making regarding hiring and retention, substantiating the usefulness of this in-depth testing option.
The advent of hair follicle testing in Lake City, WA boasts a tamper-resistant method, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of the results.
This technique notably reduces the chance of sample adulteration, providing reliable and definitive outcomes that stand up to scrutiny, which is essential in maintaining the test's credibility and reliability.
Accredited Drug Testing offers nationwide and local testing centers, emphasizing convenience in Lake City, WA. This ensures ready access to hair follicle testing services, providing an easy and efficient solution.
The accessibility of these centers means organizations and individuals can quickly and easily arrange tests without any unnecessary hassle, streamlining the entire process.
In Lake City, WA, our testing process is simple and confidential, addressing privacy concerns effectively throughout the order, testing, and results receipt phases.
Our method ensures individuals feel comfortable and secure in accessing the service, supporting the importance of confidentiality and ease of use in the testing process.
In Lake City, WA, our hair follicle drug testing services offer affordable pricing and prompt turnarounds, delivering value and peace of mind to companies, regardless of size.
This competitive pricing structure and timely results ensure that organizations receive excellent value without compromising on accuracy or reliability.
In Lake City, WA, hair follicle drug tests are recognized for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. These tests deliver precise detection of substance use, offering high accuracy that is critical for decisive results.
The rapid analysis and detailed precision of hair follicle tests ensure that individuals and organizations get dependable data swiftly. This method stands out due to its ability to detect substance use with utmost efficiency.
Using hair follicle testing in Lake City, WA grants employers compliance and peace of mind. It's an effective way to uphold workplace drug-free policies, decreasing legal risks.
This testing method aids employers in promoting a safer environment, aligning with state and federal regulations while mitigating potential hazards associated with substance use in the workplace.
