Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Fitchburg, WI

What it is, How it works

The use of hair testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair effectively captures a historical record of alcohol and drugs through biomarkers embedded within the hair's fibers as they grow. When collected near the scalp, hair can offer up to a 3-month detection timeframe for drugs and alcohol. The collection process is straightforward, resists tampering, and is easy to package for shipping.

A 1.5-inch sample comprising roughly 200 hair strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will provide 100mg of hair, which is the ideal quantity for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, it is advised to have 150mg of the sample. We suggest measuring the sample on a jeweler’s scale. Should scalp hair be inaccessible, an equivalent amount of body hair may be harvested. References to head hair mean scalp hair specifically. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary stages involved in processing a drug test outcome in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes integrating a sample into a lab’s system initially. This phase covers ensuring the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and gathering any extra data not delivered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides a preliminary rapid assessment for abused drugs. Although Screening is a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug usage in most samples, a preliminary positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in legal settings. Samples deemed presumptively positive require a secondary confirmation.

For samples flagged as presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the original batch and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are extracted from the hair at much lower concentrations than other techniques (such as urine or oral fluids), making hair drug screening notably challenging.

Any positive Screening outcomes undergo Confirmation using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are cleaned pre-confirmation as needed. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, while urine tests have a shorter detection duration.
• Difficult to evade: Cheating a hair drug test is considerably challenging, thus ensuring more accurate results.
• Provides historical patterns: It can reflect a timeline of drug use over time, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use immediately: Approximately 5-7 days are needed for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than other drug testing methods.
• Variability in results: Factors, such as hair color and individual hair growth differences, can impact drug metabolite concentration levels in the hair.

Note: Frequently termed "hair follicle tests", the examination is actually conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle within the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Fitchburg, WI
Hair follicle tests offer superior detection accuracy compared to conventional urine tests. Thanks to their reliable results and ability to capture comprehensive drug use history, they provide a clearer picture for employers and legal authorities, allowing better-informed decisions that enhance workplace safety and legal compliance.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Fitchburg, WI
Hair follicle testing is known for its long detection window, extending up to 90 days. This length provides a comprehensive view of a subject's substance history, offering employers in Fitchburg critical insights into an employee or applicant's drug use over time, aiding in making informed hiring or retention decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Fitchburg, WI
The integrity of hair follicle testing lies in its resistance to tampering. Unlike other methods, altering the results is nearly impossible, ensuring a trustworthy analysis in Fitchburg. As such, stakeholders can rely on the outcomes to reflect true drug use status, supporting informed policymaking and enforcement.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Fitchburg, WI
Our expansive network of testing centers, including local and nationwide locations, offers convenience for those requiring quick and accessible testing services. With centers readily available, Fitchburg residents and businesses benefit from hassle-free and efficient testing processes whenever needed.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Fitchburg, WI
The procedure for engaging in hair follicle testing is straightforward and secure. The ordering, execution, and results retrieval processes are designed with confidentiality in mind, ensuring privacy is respected, which is crucial for individuals and businesses seeking peace of mind and compliance in Fitchburg.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Fitchburg, WI
With competitive pricing structures, our hair follicle testing services assure value to companies of varied sizes in Fitchburg. Combined with fast turnaround times, businesses gain the dual advantage of cost-effectiveness and time efficiency, crucial for maintaining operational flow and employee satisfaction.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Fitchburg, WI
The hair follicle drug testing method shines with its precision and swift reporting. With high accuracy, it reliably detects substance use, allowing individuals and organizations in Fitchburg to swiftly address potential concerns or violations of drug policies. Thus, it ensures a safer and more compliant environment.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Fitchburg, WI
Employing hair follicle testing helps Fitchburg employers ensure compliance with drug-free workplace policies. It reduces legal risks and enhances workplace safety by providing well-documented evidence of an employee's or prospective hire’s substance use history, thus maintaining a secure and compliant business environment.

Drug Testing Near Fitchburg, WI

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Oregon, WI

Verona, WI

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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