Therapeutic Use Exemptions

A Therapeutic Use Exemption Committee (TUEC) was established to review all TUE

applications received during the Pan American Games. This Committee was made up of

three medical doctors: Dr. Adrian Lorde, member of the PASO MC, a Brazilian doctor and

a Mexican Doctor, all having expertise in sports medicine.

Although the Anti-Doping Manual stated that all TUE applications were to be requested

through ADAMS, the IO Team was not aware of any TUEs submitted through ADAMS.

The IO Team believes that ADAMS could be a very useful tool for the Pan American

Games Organizing Committee in the management of TUEs. However, at the Pan

American Games there appeared to be a lack of a detailed plan to facilitate this, even

taking into consideration the initiatives taken by PASO MC in RIO 2007 to provide NOC

Team Physicians with ADAMS training prior to the Games. More incentive or education

may need to be given to the NOC Team Physicians to ensure they attend the training

sessions and agree to use the ADAMS system for TUE applications. The IO Team was

shocked with the number of requests that were rejected due to the fact that the

applications were not complete or were not needed because the substance was not

prohibited in the Prohibited List or the request was related to the use of

glucocorticosteroids by non systemic way of administration.

The IO Team was present at one formal meeting of the TUEC and concluded that all the

decisions made by the Committee were in compliance with the International Standard

for TUEs and the PASO Rules and the personnel involved showed great professionalism.

The IO Team would like to congratulate the TUEC for the response time for TUE

requests, which represents an improvement compared with Rio 2007.

The IO Team noticed that there was no TUE mailbox in the Policlinic for the reception of

TUE applications at the beginning of the Games. After two days a paper box was put in

place, which did not provide any security or protect the confidentiality of the

applications. After insistence of the IO Team and PASO MC a real mailbox that could be

locked was in place in order to preserve the confidentiality of the information related

with the TUE procedure.

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