GAA team doctors’ bags will not be searched for drugs
Dr May said she was keen to clear up the impression given at a conference last week that doctors' bags would be searched at GAA games by the ISC.
"There's no question of that and no medical officer has been told not to carry medication in their bag. On the day of the conference I explained that we adopted the Irish code on doping from the WADA code.
"One of the definitions of a doping violation in that code relates to the possession of methods of doping. If a member of an athlete's support personnel such as a doctor or medical officer is in possession of a prohibited substance, or the means of administering it, then he or she must have an acceptable justification for it.
"The ISC is not going to search doctors, but if someone saw prohibited substances in another team doctor's bag, we couldn't ignore that either, and we'd have to be able to address it. It's in the rules we signed up to internationally, and the power of search exists in other countries, but we don't envisage it happening here.
"If someone had THG in their bag, though, we have to have some way of addressing it. We don't anticipate it happening but we have to allow for it happening.
"If it's reasonable for a doctor to have something in their bag there's no reason for them not to have it. This was devised to deal with cycling etc, where participants thought they were getting vitamin shots but were being injected with banned substances.
"If a doctor had testosterone in his bag, for example, he would have no good reason for having it there."
Dr May stressed the importance of the therapeutic use exemption or TUE forms for players on medication for an illness.
"The way this works is that there's a list of banned substances, and certain substances are banned outright. However, if someone is sick, with an illness that requires something, then they can apply for an exemption. That provision recognises the fact that while some substances are banned, people still get sick and need treatment.
"As a result, you have two different issues banned substances, and substances needing medical notification. Those TUE forms don't need to be seen by our panel of experts. Asthmatics only need send in an abbreviated form, for example, outlining the medication they are taking."
Dr May dismissed popular misconceptions about illegal substances being ingested by mistake, pointing out that caffeine is no longer a banned substance.
"In addition, pseudoephedrine, the live ingredient in some cough and cold medicine, is not banned either. Those involved in MIMS (the Medication Index of Medical Specialities), who tag prohibited substances, say only about 10% of products are banned."
Dr May also pointed out that the tests will detect recreational as well as performance-enhancing drugs.
"The tests will show recreational drugs as well, as a lot of those would be stimulants which would be abused stuff that gives people an artificial high and gees them up. That's why they're banned."
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