Athletes, check your medications!
Your search may have been unsuccessful for the following reasons.
1. The product you are searching for is a dietary supplement rather than a medicine - please see the next question for further information about such products.
2. The country you have selected is incorrect. Medication brand names and ingredients may be referred to by different names or synonyms in different countries.
3. You are searching for a medicine that is not licensed for use within the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, or the USA, and is therefore not included in Global DRO.
4. The medication may be new on the market, and yet to go through the Global DRO data review process.
5. The product may not exist in Global DRO for another reason.
Please contact UK Anti-Doping with the medication name and list of active ingredients via email (substance@ukad.org.uk) in order to obtain its anti-doping status if your search has been unsuccessful.
Why can't I find my supplement products on Global DRO?
Global DRO does not contain information on, or that applies to, any dietary supplement or similar over the counter products such as homeopathic products, traditional medicines, herbals, and probiotics.
There are ingredients on Global DRO that are sometimes listed in dietary supplements. However, a dietary supplement could contain prohibited substances even if your search results say the ingredients on the label are not prohibited. It would be wrong to conclude that because the ingredients come up as “not prohibited” on Global DRO that a supplement is safe to use from an anti-doping perspective. We have seen many examples of dietary supplements that contain undeclared ingredients (that is, ingredients not listed on the label). The use of any dietary supplement is at your own risk.
Please visit https://www.ukad.org.uk/supplements-hub for more information about the risks associated with dietary supplements.
I have checked my medication and it is prohibited. What do I need to do now?
If the medication you are looking to take is prohibited, you may need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Consult the TUE Wizard on the UK Anti-Doping website (https://www.ukad.org.uk/tue-wizard) for more information about the TUE process.
What is the reference number that appears on the results page?
The reference number is randomly generated and does not contain information which identifies you but can be used to confirm the specific search you have performed. You should record the reference number of your search and save a PDF of the search results to your electronic device. Using this reference number, we will be able to recreate and review the same results of this search if needed at a later date.
Why does a drug’s route of administration matter?
The prohibited status of some substances is entirely dependent upon the route by which it is administered.
Why is it important to select the correct sport when searching Global DRO?
The prohibited status of some substances (that is, beta-blockers) is entirely dependent upon the sport the athlete competes in.
What does ‘In-Competition’ and ‘Out-of-Competition’ mean?
In-competition is the period commencing at 11:59 pm on the day before a competition in which the athlete is scheduled to participate, through to the end of such competition and the sample collection process related to such competition. This definition covers all competitions unless stated otherwise by the rules of an International Federation and agreed by WADA. Athletes should not have any substance that is “prohibited in-competition” in their system during this period - this is regardless of when the substance was administered.
Out-of-competition refers to any time that is not ‘in-competition’ (for example, training, off-season, the days between competitions).
Does Global DRO provide the legal status of a drug?
Global DRO only provides the anti-doping status of a drug. It does not provide the legal status of drugs within the UK. Athletes should not perceive that illicit drugs are okay to use out-of-competition even if some illicit drugs are only prohibited in-competition. Furthermore, athletes should not have any substance that is “prohibited in-competition” in their system during the in-competition period - this is regardless of when the substance was administered (such as if administered out-of-competition).
I can’t find my question within this list. What should I do?
Please contact UK Anti-Doping via email (substance@ukad.org.uk) to obtain an answer to your question.
