Checking your medication

Medications prescribed by a doctor or bought directly over the counter may contain prohibited substances. It is an athlete’s responsibility to check their medication before using it even if they have used it before. Only in a medical emergency should treatment start first.

Athletes should check the anti-doping status of their medications regularly, this includes every time they are prescribed a new medication, whenever their medication changes, and at the start of each year. 

The principle of Strict Liability means that athletes are 100% responsible for any medication they use, they therefore cannot rely on their doctor (or other Athlete Support Personnel) to make these checks for them.

Global Drug Reference Online (DRO)

Global DRO provides athletes and support personnel with information about the anti-doping status of specific medications and ingredients based on the current WADA Prohibited List. Visitors can search Global DRO for medications sold in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Global DRO provides the user with a unique reference number for each search.

Check your medications on Global DRO

A user can refer to the FAQ section within Global DRO to make sure they understand the search results correctly. If they are unable to find the medication they are looking for, they can send an enquiry to UKAD directly from the Global DRO website.

Annual changes to the Prohibited List come into effect each year on 01 January. Therefore, it is important for an athlete to re-check the status of any medications they continue to use at the start of each year on Global DRO. 

If your Medication is Prohibited

Athletes who require treatment with a prohibited medication must follow the steps below before starting treatment:

  1. Inform their prescribing doctor/medical practitioner that they are an athlete and any medication they receive must comply with the Anti-Doping Rules.
  2. Ask their doctor whether they can use an alternative medication or treatment that is permitted in sport. If suitable permitted alternatives are available, these should be used instead.
  3. Request a copy of their medical appointment consultation notes and prescription before leaving the doctors surgery/clinic.
  4. Inform their team/sports doctor that they have been prescribed a prohibited medication.
  5. Use the TUE Wizard to check if they need to apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) and follow the applicable guidance. Unsure what a TUE is? Visit the Medicine and TUE Hub.
  6. If necessary, apply for a TUE and await the outcome before starting treatment.

Please note: In a medical emergency athletes can start treatment first and should follow steps 3 to 6 above. If required, a retroactive TUE application should be submitted as soon as possible after starting treatment.  

Using Medications Abroad

Athletes planning to travel abroad are encouraged to undertake the following actions prior to travelling:

  • Take enough medication to continue any treatment during the duration of the trip.
  • Check Global DRO for the anti-doping status of all medications before travelling.
  • Check whether they are permitted to possess the medication in the country that they are travelling to. Some countries have different customs laws that may prohibit the import of certain substances into a country.
  • Take a copy of their prescription.
  • Download the Clean Sport App (on Apple or Android) which allows an athlete to keep a note of all medications that they are using as well as quick access to Global DRO in case they need to check the status of a substance whilst travelling.
Purchasing Medications Abroad

Any medication purchased overseas should be carefully checked. The ingredients in common medications may contain different substances to those available in the UK. An athlete purchasing medications in countries that do not operate a medication database like Global DRO should complete additional checks to accurately identify the anti-doping status of the medication purchased. This could include:

  • Contacting a team doctor for guidance.
  • Contacting UKAD with the medication name and list of active ingredients via email to substance@ukad.org.uk.
  • Translating all active ingredients that are listed within the medication and search for the anti-doping status of each ingredient individually on Global DRO.