The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has developed a Guidance Document on Glucocorticoids (GCs) and Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) in order to assist anti-doping stakeholders in their understanding of new rules regarding injectable routes of administration of GCs coming into force under the 2022 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List). As announced on 30 September 2021, as of 1 January 2022, GCs are prohibited in-competition when administered by all injectable, oral, or rectal routes. Examples of injectable routes of administration include: intravenous, intramuscular, periarticular, intra-articular, peritendinous, intratendinous, epidural, intrathecal, intrabursal, intralesional (e.g. intrakeloid), intradermal, and subcutaneous.

As such, an athlete risks being sanctioned when a GC, its metabolites or markers are found to exceed the laboratory reporting levels in a urine sample collected in-competition. In order to prevent such occurrences for GCs administered as part of a legitimate medical intervention, the Guidance Document provides information for athletes, support personnel, Anti-Doping Organizations and physicians on the following topics:

• Glucocorticoids and the List of Prohibited Substances
• Glucocorticoids and TUE applications
• Washout periods following administration of glucocorticoids
• When to apply for a TUE
• How a TUE Committee would evaluate a glucocorticoid TUE application

In addition to this Guidance, WADA will also publish the following resources in early November 2021 to assist physicians and athletes:

• Checklists on a number of medical conditions for which glucocorticoids may be used
• TUE Physician Guidelines for TUE Committees on how to evaluate TUE requests for glucocorticoids for different medical conditions

• This media release was published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 22 October 2021. Click here for the original.