PubMed · 8633342
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E Haug, K I Birkeland, P Hemmersbach. 1996-01-20. [Doping legislation].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8633342/
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Doping-control (DC) procedures, particularly as used at the 1996 Olympic Games, are described, and the role of pharmacists in DC is discussed. DC procedures must be strict and precisely followed to avoid contamination of samples, the appearance of bias, and breaches in security and confidentiality. The process of selecting athletes for testing can be random, nonrandom, or a combination of the two. Escorts are used to notify athletes of their selection, verify their identity, and accompany them to the DC station. When urine specimens are obtained for DC, the voiding process must be directly observed. The specimen is checked for pH and specific gravity and then processed for shipping to a laboratory to be analyzed for banned substances. Medication histories are also obtained, giving athletes the opportunity to declare any substance that has been taken for legitimate medical purposes. Laboratory analysis involves screening and confirmation phases. During the Atlanta Games, roughly 50 pharmacists participated in the DC program as escorts or technical officers. It is logical to involve pharmacists in DC programs because they can develop and conduct drug-testing protocols; educate athletes, coaches, and trainers about drug use and abuse; and help ensure the safe and effective use of medications. Sophisticated doping-control procedures have been developed for athletic competitions, and pharmacists have much to offer DC programs.
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According to the international Olympic Committee, it is the responsibility of the sports medicine profession to care for the health and welfare of Olympic athletes, treat and prevent injuries, conduct medical examinations, evaluate performance capacity, provide nutritional advice, prescribe and supervise training programs, and to monitor substance use. Implicit in these functions is to assist Olympic athletes in achieving the objectives of the Olympic Motto (Citius, Altius, Fortius), which is to become faster, higher, and stronger. During the past Olympiads, athletic performance has increased, as indicated by times for the men's marathon (-28%) or by the distance covered in the women's javelin throw (+80%). However, the fulfillment of these responsibilities was a slow and protracted process, as demonstrated by the facts that medical examinations were not required until 1920, that 28 years elapsed before an official team physician was appointed, and that women had to wait until 1984 before sanction was given to compete in the marathon race. Doping was not defined until 1964, and monitoring of substance abuse did not materialize until after 1972. Although individuals have prepared for athletic competition since the ancient Olympics, the scientific foundations for various training prescriptions were not firmly established until the 1960s and 1970s. It was speculated that performance records will continue to improve in the next century because more scientific sports medicine information would be available and because such information would be better disseminated to athletes.