Therapeutic use exemptions for Adderall down slightly in MLB

Therapeutic use exemptions for the attention deficit disorder drug Adderall fell — albeit by just one fewer waiver granted — over a year ago, according to figures released by Major League Baseball late Monday afternoon.

There were 111 therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) approved for the use of Adderall, a popular amphetamine-based drug prescribed to treat ADD. It’s the second consecutive year the independent report has shown a decline in TUEs for the drug; 119 players received TUEs for Adderall in 2013. The report covers the prior offseason until the end of the World Series.

The percentage of players on 40-man rosters diagnosed with ADD (9.25%) is still more than double that of the adult population in the U.S.

Baseball has faced criticism over the years for the number of TUEs approved for the treatment of ADD and installed an advisory board to examine new applications. The independent program administrator that oversees baseball’s drug testing program under the drug policy collectively bargained by MLB and the MLB Players Association, however, has the final say on whether to grant or deny TUE applications.

In total, there were 113 TUEs approved. One player was given a TUE for the treatment of gynecomastia (swelling of breast tissue in males) that is often treated with selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) drugs, which are also used by those coming off a cycle of steroids. The other exemption was for hypercalciuria (excessive calcium exertion), which is sometimes treated with diuretics, which are commonly used to mask PEDs.

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Both SERM and diuretic drugs are banned by MLB’s drug policy.

During the most recent reporting period, there were 8,158 tests carried out and 1,622 were blood tests for human growth hormone.

Ten players tested positive for banned substances: seven for performance-enhancing drugs, two for stimulants and one for the supplement DHEA, often marketed as a “natural” way to boost testosterone production. No players came back positive for HGH.

Of the seven players flagged for using PEDS, five were caught using Stanozolol, an anabolic agent that was released under the drug name Winstrol more than five decades ago.

While the report doesn’t list the players, David Rollins of the Seattle Mariners, Arodys Vizcaino of the Atlanta Braves, Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins and Jenrry Mejia of the New York Mets were among the players who tested positive for Stanozolol this past season.