"Report rather than be caught!"
What is a TUE?
As a competitor, you may have an illness or condition that requires a particular medication. But this medication might contain a substance which appears on the WADA Prohibited List. In that case, you may be granted a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) which gives you permission to take it.
Who needs a TUE?
Any athlete participating in an FAI sanctioned event (any event registered in the FAI Calendar) and who may therefore be subject to doping control must request a TUE before taking a prohibited medication. All information in this request remains strictly confidential.
Athlete Support Personnel (ASP) cannot apply for a TUE for him/herself. However the ASP should have an acceptable justification for using a prohibited substance. The ASP may also be in possession of prohibited substances if it is consistent with a TUE granted to an Athlete, i.e. the Medical Doctor is carrying insulin for his athlete who has a TUE for it. The reference to TUE may be a bit redundant but at the end of the day the ASP will need to prove why he/she is carrying a prohibited medication at some point. But it would be a TUE granted to the athlete.
Why would you need a TUE?
TUEs ensure that you are able to obtain treatment for a legitimate medical condition—even if that treatment requires a prohibited substance or method.
The TUE process avoids the risk of sanctions due to a positive test.
How to get a TUE?
- Fill in the application form (downloadable below) with the help of your doctor. The name of the prohibited substance(s) should be mentionned (not the brand name of the medication) and only prohibited substances should be registered on the TUE form.
Be careful, this is the responsibility of your doctor to control which medication contains a prohibited substance!
- Have the form controlled and signed by your doctor.
- If you are an International level pilot, you must send this form (after it has been filled in by their doctor) to the FAI Headquarters, for the attention of the Anti-Doping Manager.
- If you are a National level pilot, send it to your National Air Sport Control.
If the TUE is approved, the athlete should then receive a TUE certificate of approval.
Athletes must obtain TUEs for Prohibited Substances before they compete. Athletes in the Registered Testing Pool should apply for TUEs at the same time that they first provide whereabouts information to FAI and, except for emergency situations, no less than 21 days before the athlete's participation at an International event. Athletes not in the Registered Training Pool must apply for TUEs through their National Airsport Control (NAC) no less than 21 days before they participate at an International Event.
FAI TUE Panel
The FAI has appointed a panel of physicians to consider TUEs ("the TUE Panel"). Athletes must submit their requests for TUEs (filled in with all necessary information and signed by themselves and the doctor) to FAI directly for the TUE Panel to evaluate, (for athletes in the Registered Testing Pool, regardless of whether or not the athlete already has a TUE issued by their NAC). The FAI TUE Panel shall evaluate requests for TUEs in accordance with WADA's International Standard.
If you have a specific enquiry regarding a Therapeutic Use Exemption, you may contact the FAI TUE panel using the link below. All enquiries are treated in confidence.
Important material to consider
