No. MD Lab Solutions requires the hair specimen to be collected directly from the donor’s head following 

standard collection protocols. 

When tested under worst-case scenario conditions, most treatments had minimal or no impact on test results 

for the majority of drugs. More specifically:

• When shampoos, sprays, or gels were applied to cut hair samples, they had little or no effect on positive 

or negative hair specimens 

• When normal hair treatments, including bleaching or dyeing, were applied to cut hair samples, 

they typically did not interfere with the test results or change the reporting category—eg, positive to 

negative 

No. the lab utilizes several independent approaches, in various combinations, to rule out the 

possibility of a positive result from external contamination. 

• All samples are washed prior to analysis 

• Some confirmatory assays involve analysis of the wash solution and a “wash correction” 

• Some confirmatory assays require presence of metabolite to be reported positive 

Taken together these procedures are designed to avoid false positives due to external contamination. 

Hair is thoroughly washed for external contamination. The drug is isolated from the hair through Quest’s 

proprietary extraction techniques. The isolated drug/metabolite is analyzed by GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, or 

LC‐MS/MS. All presumptive positive hair specimens identified during screening are pulled for confirmation and 

specimen identification is manually and electronically verified again, and a second portion of the original hair 

specimen is tested. The confirmatory testing instrumentation is calibrated with each batch of hair specimens 

and performance is verified prior to use. In each batch of specimens, 1 to 3 calibrators (depending upon the 

assay) and a minimum of 10% quality control samples are included. 

Yes. We will test hair from alternative body sites and the laboratory report clearly indicates the hair source 

(e.g., head, underarm, chest, etc).

Yes. We have been performing hair testing for drugs of abuse for more than 15 years. From the beginning, we 

have stood behind every hair test result reported by our lab. Our results have successfully withstood legal 

challenges in workplace drug testing, military proceedings, and other civil jurisdictions. Our proven legal track 

record of success supports the fact that we provide reliable, accurate hair testing results that you can depend 

on. 

A hair test is the most effective way to evaluate long-term patterns of use, making it an excellent option for 

pre-employment and random testing programs. Because hair testing detects a pattern of repetitive drug use 

over a longer period, usually up to 90 days, it is not an appropriate method for post-accident or reasonable 

suspicion testing. In both situations, the drug testing procedure should detect the drug as close as possible to 

the time of the incident, making urine or oral fluid testing a better choice. However, hair tests are appropriate 

for random testing protocols—especially if hair was used for the pre-employment test and/or the employee has 

been working for more than 90 days since an earlier urine or fluid drug test. 

Yes. If a donor has little or no hair, hair can be collected from various locations and then combined. However, 

head should not be mixed with body hair—eg, it is acceptable to combine hair collected from various locations 

on the scalp but not from different areas of the body (eg, scalp and leg or leg and arm).

Dependable turnaround times drive timely decisions. Hair specimens are sent to Quest by overnight 

delivery and are typically tested on the day they arrive at our laboratory. Negative results are typically 

released within 24 hours. Non-negative specimens undergo confirmatory testing requiring additional time. 

Our Lenexa, KS laboratory has certifications and accreditations that lead the industry and include SAMHSA 

(urine), CAP-FDT (hair, oral fluid, and urine), Florida (hair and urine), and New York State (hair, oral fluid, and 

urine). Our hair testing procedures have been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific 

meetings.  

MD Lab Solutions is partnered with Quest Diagnostics and is the only Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-certified and CAP-FDT

accredited laboratory to offer in-house testing for all 3 of the most popular drug test types: urine, oral fluid, and 

hair. We have a long-standing reputation for accuracy, reliability, and industry-leading turnaround times. Our 

scientists and experts provide data and insights to help employers design effective workforce drug testing 

programs. 

The growth rate and rates of incorporation of drugs into hair from locations other than the head has not been 

studied as extensively as that of head hair. Moreover, unlike head hair which continues to grow, body hair 

tends to grow to a certain length and then stop growing. Consequently, one cannot reliably determine the 

window of detection of drugs using hair from alternative body sites. 

No. While head hair grows at approximately ½ inch per month, the rate of growth is not constant between or 

within individuals. Consequently, we are of the opinion that segmental analysis should not be used to identify 

specific intervals of drug use in a forensically defensible manner.

As with all laboratory-based drug testing, hair drug test results are logged into the laboratory information 

system and reported to the client by direct interface, confidential fax, or through the Employer Solutions Portal 

(ESP). Laboratory testing records are maintained on file for a minimum of two (2) years. 

Non-negative hair specimens are retained for a minimum of 12 months (the same as  

non-negative urine and oral fluid specimens).

DRUG CLASS 

Cutoff concentration (pg/mg) 

SCREEN - S

CONFIRMATORY  - C

METHAMPHETAMINE - S 500 & C 500  

MDMA - S 500  & C 500  

AMPHETAMINES - S 500 & C500  

MDA-  S 500 & C 500  

COCAINE / METABOLITES - S 500   

  Cocaine - C 500  

  Cocaethylene -  C 500  

  Norcocaine -  C 500  

BENZOYLECGONINE - S 500 & C 500  

MARIJUANA METABOLITE -  S 1.0  & C 0.1  

OPIATES (MOR &/OR HYM) - S 200   

  Morphine - C 200  

  Hydromorphone2 - C 200  

OPIATES (COD &/OR HYC) - S 200   

Codeine - C 200  

Hydrocodone2 - C 200  

6‐ACETYLMORPHINE (6‐AM) - S 200 & C 200  

OXYCODONE2 - S 200 & C 200  

OXYMORPHONE2 - S 200 &  C 200  

FENTANYL2 - S 100  

Fentanyl  - C 100 

Norfentanyl - C 20 

METHADONE2 - S 200  

Methadone - C 200 

EDDP - C 50 

PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP) - S 300 & C 300  

1AMP/MDA-specific screening available as an add‐on.  

2Expanded Opiates-specific screening available as an add‐on. 

The drug test collection process requires the collector to ensure that the specimen collected is the donor’s 

hair. Body hair may be collected if head hair is not available. 

The following are reasons for rejecting a hair specimen 

• No Custody and Control Form (CCF) 

• No way to link a hair specimen with the accompanying CCF (i.e., donor) 

• Quantity of hair insufficient for analysis (QNS) 

• Length of hair less than 1 cm 

• Hair submitted in envelopes, but not wrapped with the foil jacket 

• Hair submitted in containers other than approved envelopes (eg, urine bottles) 

• Hair contaminated with lice or other parasites

No, the US Department of Transportation has not approved hair testing at this time.  

That said, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), HHS (Health and 

Human Services Department) proposed scientific and technical guidelines for the inclusion of hair specimens 

in its Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs on September 10, 2020. This is an 

early step to authorize hair specimens for regulated drug testing of Federal agencies and contractors. 

There is an Alternative Specimen Custody and Control Form that should be used which is intended for the lab

based testing of both hair and oral fluid specimens. Moreover, our eCCF systems support the collection of 

hair, oral fluid, and urine specimens with a standard set of tamper-evident seals that can be used for all 

collections. 

It is important that the hair specimen is properly sealed, meaning it is tamper-evident and the barcode 

information is readable. The tamper-evident seal on the urine Custody and Control Form is designed for the 

urine bottle and is too long for the hair testing envelope.