When Hair Isn’t an Option

For long-term drug testing, hair has been the go-to specimen for substance use detection, but for some communities taking a sample of hair is not quite so simple. To promote wellness in those communities, fingernail drug testing is a good alternative to hair. It offers everything hair can with fewer objections for collection.

---

What our Clients are Saying

---

Defensibility of Fingernail Testing

As one of only a few internationally accredited forensic testing laboratories (ISO 17025), we are routinely asked how we ensure the accuracy of the results we report. The answer is that we use the strictest protocol and follow a defense in depth strategy borrowed from the military. Defense in depth passes the specimen and results through multiple layers of test and review. It begins at the point of collection with a required chain of custody and doesn’t end until the specimen is transferred to another laboratory for requested retesting or destroyed after the designated storage life.

Oversight of this protocol by our globally-revered toxicology experts creates a final toxicology report that is a solid and defensible piece of evidence. This is because we operate as a forensic laboratory, which means we treat every specimen as if it may have to be used in a court of law. Relitigation is generally not an issue given the protocol and the litigation support experience that our leading scientists have.

For the step-by-step process of specimen defensibility watch our Defense in Depth video.

---

Advocating for Recovery

At USDTL, our vision is ‘Protecting and Enriching Lives’. We focus exclusively on bringing professionals a final toxicology report that can be used to be a voice for the voiceless.  

If you would like to join us in protecting and enriching lives, reach out to us to discuss your drug testing needs to advocate for recovery and bring the most advanced long-term substance abuse testing to your community. We work with court systems, hospitals, government agencies, collection sites, third-party administrators, physician health programs, and a whole lot more.

---

Looking for Case Law?

Here is a case from 2012 that upheld fingernail testing in a parental rights case in Iowa.

“In this case, a juvenile court terminated a father’s parental rights to two children pursuant to Iowa Code section 232.116(1)(d ), (g), (h), and (l) (2011). The father appealed, arguing that the juvenile court violated his due process rights when it ordered him to provide a fingernail drug test after the termination trial, that the State failed to prove the grounds for termination, and that termination of the father’s parental rights was not in the children’s best interests. The court of appeals reversed, principally on the basis there was no evidence in the record as to the reliability or the accuracy of the fingernail drug test, nor information as to how the test results were to be interpreted. We find that error was not preserved on the father’s due process claim and agree with the juvenile court that the evidence including the fingernail test was sufficient to warrant termination and termination was in the children’s best interests. Accordingly, we vacate the decision of the court of appeals and affirm the judgment and order of the juvenile court.”

---

How Does it Work?

Watch this video to learn more about how drugs are incorporated into the nail.