The NCAA list of banned-drug classes (NCAA Bylaw 31.2.3) is composed of substances that are generally reported to be performance enhancing and/or potentially harmful to the health and safety of the student-athlete.
The NCAA recognizes that some banned substances are used for legitimate medical purposes. Accordingly, the NCAA allows exception to be made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug. Exceptions may be granted for substances included in the following classes of banned drugs: anabolic agents, stimulants, beta blockers, diuretics, anti-estrogens, anabolic steroids*, and peptide hormones* (*see Procedure 2). (Bylaw 31.2.3)
1. Alternative nonbanned medications for the treatment of various conditions exist and should be considered before an exception is pursued.
2. In the event that the student-athlete and the physician (in coordination with sports-medicine staff at the student-athlete's institution) agree that no appropriate alternative medication to the use of the banned substance is available, the decision may be made to continue the use of the medication. However, the use of an *anabolic agent or peptide hormone must be approved by the NCAA before the athlete is allowed to participate while taking these medications. The institution, through its director of athletics, may request an exception for use of an anabolic agent or peptide hormone by submitting to The National Center for Drug Free Sport (Drug Free Sport) any medical documentation it wishes to have considered.
3. The institution should maintain documentation that supports the use of medication in the student-athlete's medical record on campus. The documentation can be a letter or copies of medical notes from the prescribing physician that documents how the diagnosis was reached, and that the student-athlete has a medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug. The letter should contain information as to the diagnosis (including appropriate verification of the diagnosis), medical history and dosage information.
4. Unless requesting a review for the medical use of an anabolic agent or peptide hormone, a student-athlete's medical records or physicians' letters should not be sent to the NCAA unless requested by the NCAA. Also, the use of the substance need not be reported at the time of NCAA drug testing.
5. In the event that a student-athlete is tested by the NCAA and tests positive for a substance for which the institution desires an exception, normal procedures for reporting positive test results will be followed (See NCAA Drug-Testing Protocol Section No. 8.0.). The institution, through its director of athletics, may request an exception at the time of notification of the positive drug test (?A? sample) by submitting to Drug Free Sport the prescribing physician's letter and any other medical documentation demonstrating the need for regular use of the drug (see subpart 3 above) which the institution wishes to have the NCAA consider. A medical exception will be considered by the NCAA and the student-athlete will remain eligible during this time if the institution has provided medical documentation to Drug Free Sport before the "B" sample is reported as positive, confirming the positive finding. If the institution fails to provide medical documentation to Drug Free Sport before the "B" sample is reported as positive to the institution, the student-athlete will be declared ineligible until such time the documentation is received, reviewed and the medical exception granted.
6. Requests for exceptions will be reviewed by the chair of the drug-testing and drug-education subcommittee of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports or his/her designee.
7. Drug Free Sport will inform the director of athletics regarding the outcome of the exception request. In the event that the exception is not granted, the institution may appeal this action according to Section 8.0. of the drug-testing protocol .
8. Institutions may contact Drug Free Sport regarding this procedure.
Sources:
NCAA Drug Testing Program, 2007-08
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
August 2007
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