Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Plum Lake, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has emerged as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By incorporating biomarkers in the fibers of the growing hair strand, hair offers an extensive history of alcohol and other drugs. When collected near the scalp, hair can offer up to a roughly 3-month detection window for these substances. Hair collection is straightforward, moderately challenging to tamper with, and convenient for transport.

A 1.5-inch segment of around 200 hair strands (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample for testing and confirmation. For EtG, additional analyses, and/or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We recommend weighing the specimen on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair forms (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The four primary steps in processing a drug test result at the lab are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial incorporation of a sample into a lab’s system. This process verifies proper sealing and shipping of the sample, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any additional data not included by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening performs an initial brief assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening offers a cost-effective way to exclude drug use in most samples, confirmation is necessary for court admissibility. Any samples positive in Screening require further confirmation.

If Screening indicates a presumptive positive, additional hair is taken from the original specimen for Extraction. Drugs are then extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than in other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most complex to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptively positive samples are cleaned prior to confirmation if needed. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can uncover drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which offer a shorter detection window.
• Difficulty to cheat: It is extremely challenging to deceive a hair drug test, thus making the results more reliable.
• Provides historical data: It provides insights into a pattern of drug use over time, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Detecting drugs in hair takes about 5-7 days.
• Cost: Hair drug tests tend to be costlier than other drug testing methods.
• Variations in results: Factors like hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Despite often being termed as "hair follicle tests", the test itself evaluates the hair strand and not the hair follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle tests in Plum Lake, WI, surpass urine tests due to their superior accuracy and efficacy. Hair tests can detect drug use over a longer period, providing a more comprehensive substance history. Employers benefit from this enhanced detection ability, making informed decisions based on reliable data.

Comparing hair and urine testing, hair stands out due to its longer detection window and lesser susceptibility to manipulation, making it a preferred choice for companies with strict drug policies.

Extended Detection Window

With an extended detection window, hair follicle testing in Plum Lake, WI, allows employers to see drug use from up to 90 days back. This longer window offers a more comprehensive view, reflecting patterns and consistency of substance use, crucial for organizations seeking thorough evaluations.

This insight allows employers to make better decisions, understanding the full extent of drug use behaviors, and thereby maintaining the integrity and safety of their workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Plum Lake, WI, offers a tamper-resistant method to ensure the integrity of results. Unlike other drug tests, hair samples are incredibly difficult to adulterate, providing employers with trustworthy data that holds up in legal and professional contexts.

The significance of tamper-resistant testing cannot be overstated, as it reinforces the accuracy and reliability of results, enabling fair assessments and enhancing workplace safety protocols.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Conveniently located in Plum Lake, WI, and nationwide, our testing centers make substance testing accessible and hassle-free. This network allows easy scheduling and access, ensuring employers can maintain drug-free workplaces without delays or inconvenience.

Our widespread locations ensure that testing is both straightforward and efficient, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity by offering swift and accessible testing services within the community and beyond.

Simple, Confidential Process

Hair follicle testing in Plum Lake, WI, offers a simple, confidential process that respects privacy. From ordering the test to receiving results, the focus remains on discretion and user convenience, ensuring a stress-free experience for employers and individuals alike.

The streamlined process involves clear steps, from sample collection to secure results delivery, placing priority on confidentiality and ease, addressing any privacy concerns related to drug testing.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing in Plum Lake, WI, Accredited Drug Testing ensures affordability without sacrificing quality. The financial feasibility of our hair follicle testing alongside fast turnaround times represents great value for employers of all sizes, ensuring budgetary constraints do not compromise test efficiency.

This blend of cost-effectiveness and quick service provides businesses the assurance of precise testing at a reasonable price, supporting informed hiring and employee management decisions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Plum Lake, WI, hair follicle tests are lauded for their fast, reliable, and accurate results. The precision they offer is unparalleled, quickly detecting substance use. This accuracy speeds up decision-making processes for employers, ensuring they get the best candidates for the job while maintaining a drug-free environment.

The hair testing process provides a dependable alternative to traditional methods, rapidly yielding results with high accuracy. This ensures both quick onboarding and continued workplace safety, a cornerstone of effective workforce management.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Plum Lake, WI, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing through compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This testing method reduces legal risks by aligning with standards for substance-free environments, ultimately promoting higher safety and productivity.

Implementing hair testing ensures smoother operations by preventing illicit drug use, creating a safe, compliant, and tranquil workplace environment where employees and employers alike can thrive.

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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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