PSYCHEMEDICS CORPORATION SUPPORTS GLOBAL

Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
WORLD LEADER IN DETECTING DRUGS OF ABUSE
THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF HAIR SAMPLES
PSYCHEMEDICS CORPORATION SUPPORTS GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS DESIRE TO ACHIEVE A “DRUG
ORGANIZATIONS DESIRE TO ACHIEVE A DRUG FREE FREE
WORKPLACE” THROUGH PRE‐EMPLOYMENT AND RANDOM DRUG SCREENING PROGRAMS.
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
HAIR TESTING PROCEDURES &
PROCESSING STAGES
Confirmation
Sample preparation
Secure new portion of remaining sample
3 hour 45 minute washing and test last wash
Hair liquefied (enzymatic digestion) to release drug
GC/MS, LC/MS/MS or GC/MS/MS
Certifying scientist review of confirmation test
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
COLLECTED UNDER CHAIN‐OF‐CUSTODY
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
DONOR’S NAME DOES NOT APPEAR ON PSYCHEMEDICS’ COPY
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
HEAD HAIR COLLECTION
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
BODY HAIR COLLECTION
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
HAIR SAMPLE SEALED
IN TAMPER‐EVIDENT PACKAGING
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
DONOR INITIALS SEALED ENVELOPE
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
CHAIN‐OF‐CUSTODY AND HAIR
SAMPLE SEALED IN TAMPER‐EVIDENT POUCH
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
DONOR INITIALS OUTER PACKAGING
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
ACCESSIONING: PREPARE HAIR SAMPLE
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
ACCESSIONING: WEIGH OUT SAMPLE
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
REMOVE EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
ANALYZE WASH SOLUTION
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
RIAH: LIQUEFY THE HAIR
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
RIAH: SPIN OUT THE MELANIN
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
RIAH: RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
CONFIRMATION: GC/MS/MS
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
REVIEW & REPORT: CERTIFYING SCIENTIST
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION
Drugs in the air or environment can get on the hair
and cause positive results
FACT
Psychemedics’ extensive wash procedure remove
or account for external contaminants
Even the wash solutions are analyzed and
compared to the levels found in the hair
Psychemedics looks for the metabolites in addition
to the drug itself
Independent studies involving undercover narcotic officers,
who mimic drug users in every way except ingestion, have
conclusively shown that external interaction with drugs did not
create an issue for hair testing when properly performed wash
methods prior to testing were utilized.
utilized
A Canadian study subjected hair to the vapor from the
equivalent of 5000 lines of crack cocaine without a positive
result when proper wash procedures were performed
performed.
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
Testing human hair for drugs of abuse.
IV. Environmental cocaine contamination and washing effects Wang & Cone, Forensic Science International 70(1995)39‐51
In a series of experiments , it was found that
exposure of ‘cut’ hair to cocaine vapor and to
aqueous solutions of cocaine HCl resulted in
significant contamination of hair samples.
It was concluded that positive hair test results
should
h ld be
b interpreted
i t
t d cautiously
ti
l due
d to
t the
th
possibility of environmental contamination from
cocaine and related constituents.
WASH: After adding 1 ml of methanol wash
solvent, the hair was cut into fine particles with
surgical scissors. The total time of cutting and
washing lasted approximately 1 min…..The
methanol wash fraction was collected and the
remaining hair was rinsed with methanol ( 2 X 1
ml) under vacuum. The wash fractions were
combined….
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
A Comparison Study of Two Wash Procedures
Using Cocaine Contaminated Human Hair. Wang et al 1999
14 drug free control human hair samples were soaked in
a 1000 ng/ml cocaine solution.
2 different wash procedures, a NIDA methanol wash and
the PMD wash procedure were compared.
All washes and hair digests were analyzed by LC/MS/MS
The NIDA methanol wash procedure removed 49.8%,
49 8%
while the PMD wash procedure removed 88.4% of the
externally contaminated cocaine.
An extended wash p
procedure removed about 3% more.
A comparison of the data showed that the PMD wash
procedure was able to differentiate between external
contamination, but the methanol wash procedure
showed 8 false positive findings.
Careful washing of the hair samples is mandatory in any
laboratory setting where human hair is being tested.
Superior Detection of Drug Abuse
FDA-Cleared Hair Tests
Mieczkowski,T.
Passive Contamination of Undercover Narcotics Officers by Cocaine: An assessment of Their Exposure Using Hair Analysis. Microgram Vol. 28, No. 6, 6/95
All Officers were occupationally exposed to
cocaine as part of their assignment
Hair was analyzed for cocaine after washing
Every officer had some amount of detectable
cocaine on the hair as a contaminant, however…
Psychemedics wash procedures
procedures, measurement of
the washes, clearly shows that casual exposure
produces only slight amounts of contamination,
and that for most routine situations, there are
adequate safeguards against confusing
contamination with ingestion