Is it legal? Prescribing for the athlete

Abstract

Background: The taking of performance enhancing drugs is an issue in many sports. To counteract this health endangering problem most sports have adopted the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission's classes of banned drugs.

Objective: Practitioners may inadvertently prescribe banned drugs, resulting in a positive drug test and a penalty for the athlete. This paper reviews the current recommendations when prescribing for an athlete.

Discussion: Medical practitioners will avert potentially disastrous situations for athletes by being aware of the drugs that are prohibited for sportspersons or by knowing how to rapidly access such information when prescribing for athletes.