Australian Government: Australian Sports Drug Medical Advisory Committee

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Information for medical professionals

Medical
emergencies


If the treatment of an athlete depends on a prohibited substance or method, submit a TUE application immediately after treatment has occurred (retroactive TUE).

In these situations the medical professional may be able to contact ASDMAC and speak directly to a committee member for advice.

ASDMAC contact details

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, medical professionals are defined as athlete support personnel and are bound by the Code's regulations (in sports that have adopted the Code).

The most up to date information on Therapeutic Use Exemptions can be found on the WADA website.

Athlete support personnel can be sanctioned, just as athletes can, for committing Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) under a sport's anti-doping policy. The ADRVs most relevant to medical professionals include:

  • Administration or attempted administration of a prohibited substance or prohibited method to any athlete, or assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, covering up or any other type of complicity involving an anti-doping rule violation or any attempted violation
  • Possession of prohibited substances and methods
  • Trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method.

ADRVs such as those listed above can incur between a two year and lifetime suspension from sport.

Note: doctors are not deemed to be trafficking if they possess appropriate quantities of prohibited substances that are pursuant to legitimate therapeutic use purposes.