NCAA Medical Exceptions
The NCAA has instituted more detailed guidelines for eligibility under medical exceptions for banned substances. The NCAA recognizes that some of these substances may be legitimately used as medications to treat student-athletes with learning disabilities and other medical conditions. Accordingly, the NCAA allows exceptions to me made for those student-athletes with a documented medical history demonstrating the need for regular use of such a drug. Exceptions may be granted for substances included in the following classes, stimulants, beta-blockers, anti-estrogens, anabolic agents, and peptide hormones.
1. In order for a student-athlete to be granted a medical exception for the use of a medication that contains a banned substance, the student athlete must have the home prescribing physician provide a letter with the following information.
a) Present documentation of the diagnosis of the condition
b) Diagnosis being treated
c) How the diagnosis was reached (The NCAA will assess how the diagnosis was verified if a drug test is positive)
d) Dosage prescribed
e) Statement that the student’s medical history demonstrates a need for regular use of the drug
f) List of any alternative non-banned medications for the treatment of the condition have been considered or tried
g) Statement that the student-athlete and the prescribing physician agree that no appropriate alternative medication to the use of the banned substance is available
ADD/ADHD Documentation Guidelines
2. Student-athletes who have been diagnosed with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder and are prescribed a medication that is on the banned substance list must also present written documentation that the student-athlete has undergone a standardized assessment for ADD/ADHD. The most common medications used to treat ADHD are methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine (Adderall), which are banned under the NCAA class of stimulants. The current list can be found at http://www.ncaa.org/health-safety
Student athletes taking anabolic agents or peptide hormones must have approval granted by the NCAA prior to participation.