Backgrounder on Doping Control in Sports

I am packing and finalizing plans to fly to Beijing to work as a Doping Control Officer (DCO), recruited by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG). It is volunteer work; I do not get paid for this additional work, but it is a terrific experience and adds to my area of practice and expertise in sports pharmacy and doping control, thanks to the UCSF School of Pharmacy where I am a member of the clinical faculty. For those interested in exactly what a Doping Control Officer does, see: Ambrose PJ. Doping control in sports: a perspective from the 1996 Olympic games. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 1997;54:1053-7. It is very detailed work, and simple mistakes can have international consequences. Here is the abstract of the article:

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.