Ask Me Help Desk - What can be tested for with a hair follicle test?

Quote:

Originally Posted by gotomom

I amazed at the great info available on this website. I have a question. We have been doing our best to help my step-daughter for the last eight years. Her mom has been hospitalized about 8 times during that period for bi-polar, anxiety, paranoid episodes and drug addiction. The mom is trying hard and we do want her to have visitation. We have a draft of a new agreement that will allow visits if the mom does a follicle test every three months. It's not just to test for illegal drugs, but also to make sure she stays on her prescriptions. Can this be done?

Not with any level of confidence. Hair drug testing (HDT) is extremely variable in relation to detecting various drugs. Most drugs can be detected only following heavy use, some not even then. So for an abstinence check it is of minimal benefit except for detecting several base drugs such as cocaine.

Certainly wouldn't recommend HDT for prescription compliance. It has no benefit in that regard but that should be monitored by the prescribing physician.

Theoretically, most drugs can be tested for in HDT but the actual detection rate falls well below advertised claims of the commercial testing field.

Ref:

Galanter & Kleber, 2011 Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Substance Abuse, American Psychiatric Publishing, Wash, DC, p. 58
“Positive results from hair testing are generally expected only when a person has used a drug at least four to six times per month”

Jim Turnage (2011), Forensic DNA & Drug Testing Services, Inc in presentation to Dallas TX Bar Association. p. 15.
"It takes multiple uses to test positive in hair under normal drug use."