Para athletes’ ability to easily check the prohibited status of ingredients in medications has expanded as the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) joined the Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO) network ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
“Global DRO has served as a trusted resource for athletes and support personnel since 2009,” said Dr. Matthew Fedoruk, Chief Science Officer at the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). “We are thrilled to see the IPC adopt this invaluable tool to support athletes around the world, especially as they prepare to compete on the world’s largest stage. We applaud the IPC for offering this additional online resource for their athletes and National Paralympic Committees around the world as they navigate anti-doping responsibilities.”
Global DRO is a resource for athletes and support personnel that is powered by a partnership between the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, Swiss Sport Integrity, UK Anti-Doping, and USADA. The Japan Anti-Doping Agency, Sport Integrity Australia, and Sport Integrity Commission NZ are official Global DRO licensees like the IPC. Millions of Global DRO searches have been performed to date.
“Each year there are unnecessary, costly, and often career-ending positive tests that could be easily avoided if the athletes or their support personnel carried out basic checks on medication before use,” said Jude Ellis, the IPC’s Head of Anti-Doping. “Ideally, athletes and support personnel seek advice from medical professionals before taking any medication. As an extra precaution, the IPC’s Medication Check page provides free and easy access to the Global DRO database, further helping athletes minimize the risk of a positive test.”
Visitors can search Global DRO for over-the-counter and prescription products sold in the participating countries, while medications purchased in all other countries must be searched by each individual active ingredient. This difference is because medications with the same brand name can contain different ingredients when sold in different countries. The IPC’s new Medication Check page will integrate Global DRO to give athletes a reliable and quick way to determine the status of individual ingredients.
While it’s important for athletes to consult with medical professionals about treatment options, athletes are ultimately responsible for what goes in their bodies and for checking the prohibited status of any medication prior to use. Under the principle of strict liability, it becomes exceptionally important that athletes have resources they can trust to determine the prohibited status of substances and methods under the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
If an athlete requires treatment that is prohibited in sport, they can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) in compliance with the WADA International Standard for TUEs. If granted, the TUE allows the athlete to use the substance or method while competing in sport.
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