By Bill Current, President & Founder
You Heard Me Right, Rapid-Result Hair Testing
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Imagine a conversation that goes like this: “What do you think of rapid-result hair testing? You mean rapid-result urine or oral testing, right? No, you heard me right… rapid-result hair testing. Never heard of it.”
You’re about to, thanks to Wondfo.
The “Wondfo SAFElife Rapid Hair Processor” is not actually a new product, it has been around for a few years, but it has stayed a bit below the radar. Now, however, it can accurately be labeled as an emerging technology along with rapid oral fluid testing, proctored or virtual drug tests, and non-drug-testing impairment exams.
And the timing couldn’t be better considering the announcement from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that it wants to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance, which will make it legal for doctors to prescribe marijuana rather than simply recommend it. The move will certainly lead to more drug users flooding the judicial system and workplaces, and more government agencies and employers looking for innovative ways to conduct drug tests.
Historically, we know that as lawmakers and bureaucrats remove barrier after barrier, the rate of drug abuse soars and along with it the predictable negative workplace consequences, including the escalation of post-accident positive drug test results for marijuana. Also, states are starting to modify their legal marijuana laws to make it more challenging for employers to conduct drug testing via traditional methods, such as urine testing, that rely on detecting non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites. As such, employers are in need of drug tests that are capable of identifying the presence of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive form of THC often referred to as the “parent” drug. Oral fluid testing is capable of detecting parent THC and now so is the rapid hair processor and test from Wondfo.
“The SAFElife Rapid Hair Processor and Tests are a cost-effective approach to onsite drug hair testing,” said Jonathan Sampson, Director of Business Development at Wondfo. “Designed to swiftly report negative results onsite and send out presumptive positives to a preferred laboratory.”
Sampson added: “With a comprehensive test menu of 17 assays, the SAFElife Rapid Hair Processor and Tests provide private and observed sample collections with results in 10 minutes. It is the first rapid hair screening tool in the market, with a 90-day detection window and a high level of accurate and reliable performance data, making it a crucial tool to safeguard child welfare, improve safety measures, and significantly contribute to the overall efficiency of the justice and rehabilitation systems.”
This advancement in hair testing also enhances the utility of this sample type in workplace drug testing programs where testing for “life-style” indicators can be important, such as in non-regulated safety-sensitive operations, finance/banking positions, casinos and more.
“This is a great example of our industry embracing emerging technology and developing another tool to help combat substance abuse in the workplace and in our communities,” said Brian Feeley, Vice President of the Current Consulting Group. “In my view, the capability to perform rapid hair tests along with rapid oral fluid testing, creates a new algorithm to detect both long term and very recent substance abuse at the same time within minutes. That’s a pretty powerful combination if someone is looking to cover a broad window of detection very quickly.”
Not only is the “Wondfo SAFElife Rapid Hair Processor” capable of rendering a result for as many as 17 analytes, but significantly it can detect Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol within about 10 minutes. This gives employers in heavily restrictive states like California and Washington another option in addition to oral fluid testing when screening for marijuana.
How it works technically
The test is simple to perform. A very small sample of hair is cut and placed into a small tube containing a liquid and some beads. The tube is capped and placed into a small processor that spins and agitates the sample for about two minutes. Up to six samples can be processed simultaneously. The liquid samples are then put into test cups that are very much like other rapid test devices, and in 5-10 minutes results are available and can be read visually by the presence or absence of a red line.
Is it accurate?
Wondfo reports that the SAFElife Rapid Hair Processor is highly accurate and has the same or better analytical performance as laboratory-based hair testing, which is quite impressive given the low level of drugs typically found in hair samples.
Is it practical?
From a practicality standpoint, one has to consider this in two parts: First, is it practical to collect hair samples? And second, is it practical to run this new rapid test format?
Collection of a hair sample is typically conducted by someone trained in the process of performing this type of collection. From that standpoint, it is no different than collecting a hair sample for a laboratory-based test in the sense that it is practical to do so for a trained collector.
From the processing and testing standpoint, the steps involved are very easy to perform and comparable to any other rapid test with urine or oral fluid. Sites and testing entities that perform this overall testing process will likely be drug testing providers and clinics capable of collecting hair samples, and those with reasonable accommodations for a small processor running rapid tests. This could also easily be performed by those with mobile drug testing capabilities where all these steps can easily be followed.
Conclusion
Rapid-result hair testing? That’s right. In addition to oral fluid testing, the rapid-result hair test from Wondfo represents a viable option for employers that want to continue testing for marijuana but need a test capable of detecting parent THC as is required in states like California and Washington.
It’s also a nice fit for government agencies where a test that can show a longer window of detection is needed.
In Current Consulting Group’s 2024 Drug Testing Industry Survey, 70% of drug testing providers said they currently offer hair testing and 10% said they were considering adding it to their offerings. Combine that with the fact that nearly 81% said they currently have clients that use rapid-result tests and 68% believe rapid-result testing will increase in the coming years, and the arrival of rapid hair testing is a matter of perfect timing.
Learn more about Wondfo SAFElife here: https://wondfousa.com/find-your-test/safelife/
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