The doctor is kind, the injection is ready, and the pain has gone on for weeks. Then the athlete asks the question that protects a career: "Is this allowed?" Under the World Anti-Doping Code, a tested athlete is responsible for every substance that enters their body — wherever in the world it was given and whoever gave it. Treatment abroad is safe for your record when you ask that question first, every time.
The one rule to remember
Anti-doping works on strict liability. If a prohibited substance is found in your sample, it does not matter that a doctor gave it, that it was in a hospital, or that you were in another country. WADA's own guidance says that even "Specified" substances do not relieve athletes of the rule that makes them responsible for everything that enters their body.
That sounds frightening, but the fix is simple: check before treatment, keep records, and apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) when a prohibited medicine is genuinely needed. Most sports injuries can be treated well with permitted medicines.
What on the List affects injury treatment
The Prohibited List is long, but a handful of categories come up again and again in sports medicine:
- Glucocorticoid (cortisone) injections: all injectable routes are prohibited in competition, so timing matters. Washout periods run from the last dose to the start of the in-competition period.
- IV drips and large injections: more than 100 mL in 12 hours is prohibited without a TUE, except during hospital treatment, surgery or clinical tests.
- Strong painkillers: some opioid medicines are prohibited in competition.
- Cold and flu remedies: some contain stimulants that are prohibited in competition.
- Growth factors and unapproved substances: individual growth factors and substances not approved for human use are banned at all times. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) itself is not prohibited.
Check the current List, not last year's. WADA updates it every year, and it comes into force each 1 January.
| IM triamcinolone acetonide | 60 days |
|---|---|
| IM prednisolone or prednisone | 10 days |
| Local triamcinolone or prednisolone | 10 days |
| IM dexamethasone, methylprednisolone | 5 days |
| Most other local injections | 3 days |
Sport Integrity Australia guidance on the 2026 WADA Prohibited List. In-competition normally begins at 11:59 pm on the day before a competition. Slow-release forms may be detectable for longer.
What to ask before any medicine or injection
Say early, and to everyone, that you are a tested athlete. Then ask:
- What exactly is it? The generic name, the dose, the route (tablet, injection, drip) and the volume.
- Is it on the current WADA List? Check it yourself or with your team doctor, using your national anti-doping organisation's tools.
- Is there a permitted alternative that would work as well?
- When is my next competition? A medicine banned only in competition may be fine now, but not next weekend.
- Can you write it all down? A dated record of every medicine, injection and drip, signed by the doctor.
Be careful with supplements, herbal products and anything bought over the counter. A product can contain a prohibited ingredient that is not clearly labelled. If you are not sure, do not take it.
How a therapeutic use exemption works
A TUE lets you use a prohibited medicine for a genuine medical need. According to WADA, all four of these must be true: you have a diagnosed condition backed by clinical evidence; the treatment will not enhance performance beyond a return to normal health; there is no reasonable permitted alternative; and the need was not caused by earlier use of a prohibited substance.
- Confirm your levelnational-level: your national anti-doping organisation; international-level: your international federation
- Doctor's medical filediagnosis, tests, imaging, and why permitted options will not do
- Apply earlyas soon as it is prescribed; at least 30 days before competition for in-competition-only substances
- Decisionusually within 21 days of a complete application
- Keep copiescarry the approval and your medical records when you travel
Emergencies can qualify for a retroactive TUE, but approval is not automatic.
Where you apply depends on your level, not on where you are treated. A visiting athlete treated in India still applies to their own national agency or international federation. Indian national-level athletes apply to NADA India, which encourages submission through ADAMS and aims to decide within 21 days.
If you needed emergency treatment, you may apply for a retroactive TUE afterwards. Keep every hospital record, because the application is still judged against the four criteria.
How we handle this when you are treated in India
- We tell the treating team, in writing, that you are a tested athlete.
- We ask for every medicine, injection and drip to be listed with its generic name, dose, route, volume and time in your English discharge summary.
- We give your team doctor time to check medicines before planned procedures.
- We are not an anti-doping authority. The responsibility stays with the athlete and their team doctor — our job is to make the information complete and easy to check.
Read our athlete's planning guide and PRP and injections: the evidence, start with the sports medicine guide, or book a consultation.
Independent research. Figures are quoted from the official and published sources listed below, as they stood when we checked them (October 2026). BookMedTrip is an independent facilitator and is not affiliated with any government body, hospital, charity or organisation named here, and receives no commission from them. If anything here is out of date or inaccurate, please write to care@bookmedtrip.com and we will correct it.
Savollar
Is a cortisone injection allowed for athletes?
Injectable glucocorticoids are prohibited in competition. Outside competition they can be used, but washout periods apply before the in-competition period — from 3 days for most local injections to 60 days for intramuscular triamcinolone acetonide.
Is PRP banned by WADA?
No. Platelet-rich plasma is not prohibited, although individual growth factors are banned at all times.
Where do I apply for a TUE if I am treated in another country?
To your own national anti-doping organisation if you are a national-level athlete, or to your international federation if you are international-level — not to the country where you are treated.
