Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Monroe Center, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has emerged as a potent mechanism for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a comprehensive history of alcohol and narcotics by embedding biomarkers in the fibers of the elongating hair shaft. When collected proximal to the scalp, hair can offer up to a quarter-year detection period for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat tamper-resistant, and conveniently shippable.

A segment of 1.5 inches comprising roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the optimal amount for examination and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and panels exceeding 10, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's recommended to measure the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is absent, an equivalent volume of body hair may be gathered. References to head hair specify scalp hair alone. Body hair encompasses other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory evaluation of a drug test outcome includes four primary phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory’s protocol. This involves ensuring the sample is reliably sealed and transported, designating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing additional recordkeeping not covered by an electronic chain of custody platform.

Screening is an initial swift assessment for drug substances. Although Screening provides an economical method to exclude drug use in most samples, any conclusive positive result from Screening must be verified for judicial acceptance. Samples preliminarily positive in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

In instances where a sample is preliminarily positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the starting sample for Extraction. At this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluids), underlining why hair drug assessment is the most complex to execute.

Confirmation of any affirmatively screened samples is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All provisional positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as appropriate. The comprehensive laboratory process, spanning from Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug assays can ascertain drug use for up to 90 days, compared to urine tests with a briefer detection span.
• Fraud-proof: It's exceedingly challenging to deceive a hair drug test, thereby enhancing result accuracy.
• Chronological data provision: It delivers a pattern of drug use over time rather than merely recent use.

Limitations:

• Recent use undetectability: It takes around 5-7 days for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug assays typically incur higher costs than alternative test methodologies.
• Result variations: Attributes like hair color and individual hair growth variabilities can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests," the assessment itself examines the hair shaft and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When considering drug testing options in Monroe Center, WI, hair follicle tests clearly outshine traditional urine tests. The unmatched accuracy of hair testing offers employers and courts reliability that routine urine tests cannot match.

Hair follicle tests provide a superior method by extending the detection time to 90 days, capturing a comprehensive drug use history. Employers enforcing strict policies can thus gain a more robust understanding of an individual's substance use tendencies.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Monroe Center, WI provides an extensive detection window, covering up to 90 days of drug use, enabling a thorough assessment of an individual's substance history.

Employers gain significant insights into the applicant's or employee's reliability, assisting in making informed decisions. This extended duration reveals behavioral patterns often missed by shorter-term tests, enhancing workplace safety.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Monroe Center, WI, hair follicle tests offer a tamper-resistant testing method, effectively minimizing the risk of alterations by those being tested and assuring accurate results.

These tests drastically reduce the chances of sample manipulation, acknowledging the authenticity of the tested individual’s drug use history, and provide organizations with trustworthy data to maintain their strict compliance standards.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing boasts conveniently located testing centers across the nation, including Monroe Center, WI, facilitating straightforward and accessible testing.

Our extensive network of facilities ensures that individuals can promptly access testing services without delays, simplifying the drug testing process for both employees and employers.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Monroe Center, WI, is streamlined for ease and confidentiality, addressing potential privacy concerns.

From the moment the test is ordered, through collection and result delivery, each step is crafted to be intuitive, ensuring confidentiality and hassle-free experiences for all parties involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Featuring competitive pricing in Monroe Center, WI, our hair follicle tests promise great value and swift results, catering to diverse company size needs.

Employers can trust in our prompt turnaround to deliver crucial substance use data, all while maintaining budget-friendly rates, enhancing cost-efficiency in regular and urgent testing scenarios.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Monroe Center, WI, hair follicle drug tests stand out for their remarkable precision and rapid execution. Often recognized for their unparalleled accuracy, these tests efficiently detect substance use patterns, ensuring reliability in outcomes.

The quick processing of hair follicle tests at our facilities allows for prompt responses, making them an optimal choice for urgent testing requirements. Their effectiveness in identifying drug use patterns is unmatched, reflecting their importance in modern-day drug testing methodologies.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Monroe Center, WI, benefit from hair follicle testing as it ensures compliance with workplace drug-free mandates, providing peace of mind.

Adopting hair testing reduces legal implications associated with employee drug use, fortifying the commitment to a safe and productive work environment. This method supports employers in consistently upholding their workplace policies and hazardous-free pledges.

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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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