Hair Drugs & Alcohol Marker Laboratory Testing

Using a simple, non-invasive collection procedure, hair testing can provide an overview as well as trends of drug use or abstinence, by sectioning a hair sample and testing each segment for a detailed month-by-month analysis.

Our hair alcohol marker testing offers combined testing for ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and the fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) ethyl palmitate, which are metabolites of alcohol present in hair after the consumption of alcohol. Using the combination of EtG and FAEE testing provides more comprehensive information about chronic excessive alcohol use. This testing is in line with the Society of Hair Testing’s (SoHT) current consensus, in relation to chronic excessive alcohol consumption.

One of the main benefits of hair testing is that drug use can be detected going back over several months to years, if the length of the sample is sufficient. This extended window of detection makes hair testing particularly useful in legal cases and pre-employment tests.

• Month-by-month or overview analysis available
• Non-invasive sample type with a long window of detection
• The laboratory has validated methods that are accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (accreditation number: 2720) 
• Our sample collection process follows a full chain of custody protocol
  
• Confirmation testing provides fully defensible results for a court of law or industrial tribunal
• Expert Witness Reports written by experienced scientists, providing you with professional and objective evidence

For our family law customers, we understand that Legal Aid Agency (LAA) funding can be difficult to obtain and therefore our bespoke service gives you the freedom to request only the tests you need. Our results and expert reports will be returned within 4 working days of receipt of the sample at the laboratory and we can also offer a split-invoicing service.

Abbott utilises state of the art equipment and technology to identify drugs and/or alcohol markers in hair. Our methodologies provide  accurate, legally defensible results.

We can test for a wide range of drugs, drug groups and drug metabolites in urine, oral fluid and hair plus alcohol markers in urine and hair. Listed below are the most common tests requested by our customers. It should be noted however that this list is not exhaustive, and we have an extensive panel of available tests. Please contact us or request a Technical Specification to see all of our back to laboratory tests available.

We can provide options for a variety of results formats and access to them including return to you via secure email or download from our secure customer portal. Additional support can be provided in terms of Expert Witness Reports, written by experienced scientists, providing you with professional and objective evidence and independent interpretations and Expert Witness Court Attendance.

Using an experienced provider who supplies thousands of reports each year will give you the peace of mind of a reliable interpretation of the results. An Expert Witness Report will provide you with professional, objective evidence suitable for use in court.

An Expert Witness Report provides an interpretation of the results of drug and/or alcohol tests and explains the testing procedure from sample collection through to test results.

It contains information regarding the chain of custody in place to maintain sample integrity, a detailed description of the testing procedure and whether or not the substances tested for were detected. Test results need professional interpretation to enable a full understanding of the results, to put them into context and ensure they are used correctly. Advice from our experienced Toxicologists ensures that you are fully informed.

For our family law customers, reports are written as applicable to the relevant court as directed by you. By indicating on our request form whether you require a report for family or civil court, it will be written to meet either:

• Ministry of Justice Civil Procedure Rules Part 35 Practice Direction 35 Experts and Assessors
• Ministry of Justice Family Procedure Rules Part 25 Expert and Assessors and Practice Directions 25A Experts and Assessors

Our Expert Witnesses are available to attend court to explain the testing procedure, their interpretation of results and the chain of custody as required.