ANTI-DOPING POLICY
Our mission is to manage anti-doping programs, any aspect of testing and education, independent from sporting or political powers, firstly for anti-doping organizations requesting support
One of the purposes of the World Anti-Doping Code (Code) and the World Anti-Doping Program is to protect the Athletes’ fundamental right to participate in doping-free sport and thus promote and protect health, fairness, and equal opportunity for Athletes worldwide.
Providing a high-quality service is important to USAD as we value our customers, suppliers, and partners, and understand the significance of reliable anti-doping services within the sports industry.
Thus, USAD strives to provide our customers with products and services which meet and even exceed their expectations.
Furthermore, USAD’s services are in line with all relevant WADA and client regulations and ensures that all operational, administrative, and monitoring requirements are fulfilled.
GENERAL INTEGRITY
The USAD generates value by delivering high-quality anti-doping services, and by ensuring the partners’ credibility and recognition in the fight against doping.
The USAD gathers together subject experts with significant experience in the field to help support the best sporting experience.
The United Services Against Drugs Company (The USAD) operates in sports and anti-doping including as Delegated Third Party, as Doping Control Coordinator and/or as Sample Collection Authority.
USAD and its board members, directors, officers, and all employees accept WADA Code rules as a condition of participation or involvement in sport and anti-doping activity and will be bound by these rules.
Any aspect of Doping Control or anti-doping Education may be delegated by an ADO to USAD which performssuch aspects in compliance with the Code and International Standards and is responsible for it.
To the extent such delegation is made to a USAD, the agreement between any ADO and USAD will reflectUSAD’s compliance with the Code and International Standards.
Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such position or involvement, USAD requires all of its board members, directors, officers, and those, who are involved in any aspect of Doping Control, to agree to be bound by anti-doping rules as Persons in conformity with the Code for direct and intentional misconduct, or to be bound by comparable rules and regulations put in place by the ADO.
Where relevant USAD agrees to be knowledgeable of, comply with, and be bound by the NADC Anti-DopingRules and other Regulating acts, as in force from time to time and as applicable.
USAD ensures that its representatives are available to answer questions from the WADA audit team and provide any requested documentation or information during the audit.
USAD is ready and agrees to cooperate with ADOs regarding all of WADA’s compliance monitoring efforts, including (without limitation) properly addressing Code Compliance Questionnaires, Mandatory Information Requests, Compliance Audits, and all continuous compliance monitoring requirements.
DOPING CONTROL OPERATING
When USAD contracts by ADO to act as a Doping Control Coordinator or Sample Collection Authority on their behalf, in the terms of the contract sides may specify how any discretion afforded to a USAD under the International Standard for Testing and Investigations is to be exercised by the USAD when collecting Samples on itsbehalf.
USAD has the necessary staff with sufficient experience and skills for suitable training Doping Control Officers and Chaperones who can be authorized to carry out the responsibilities given in the International Standard for Testing and Investigations.
USAD always provides appointment of DCOs, Chaperones and other Sample Collection Personnel sufficient to ensure No Advance Notice Testing and continuous observation of Athletes notified of their selection to provide a Sample.
To conduct or assist with the Sample Collection Sessions, the USAD appoints and authorizes Sample Collection Personnel who have been trained for their assigned responsibilities, who do not have a conflict of interest in the outcome of the Sample collection, and who are not Minors.
Sample Collection Personnel has official documentation, provided by USAD, evidencing their authority to collect a Sample from the Athlete, such as an authorization letter from the ADO. DCOs also carry complementary identification which includes their name and photograph (i.e., identification card) and the expiry date of the identification.
USAD establishes criteria to validate the identity of an Athlete selected to provide a Sample. This ensures the selected Athlete is the Athlete who is notified. If the Athlete is not readily identifiable, a third party may be asked to identify them and the details of such identification documented.
USAD and its DCOs or Chaperones, as applicable, establish the location of the selected Athlete and plan the approach and timing of notification, taking into consideration the specific circumstances of the sport/Competition/training session/etc. and the situation in question.
USAD and its DCOs or Chaperones, as applicable, document Athlete notification attempt(s) and outcome(s).
USAD and its DCOs or Chaperones, as applicable, consider whether a third party is required to be notified prior to notification of the Athlete in accordance with International Standard for Testing and Investigations:
USAD establishes a system for obtaining all the information necessary to ensure that the Sample Collection Session can be conducted effectively, including identifying special requirements to meet the needs of Athletes with impairments as well as the needs of Athletes who are Minors.
USAD establishes criteria for who may be authorized to be present during the Sample Collection Session in addition to the Sample Collection Personnel. Inter alia, the criteria surely include an authorized Person who is involved in the training of Sample Collection Personnel or auditing USAD.
USAD only uses Sample Collection Equipment systems for urine and blood Samples which meet the requirements of International Standard for Testing and Investigations.
USAD is responsible for the overall conduct of the Sample Collection Session including specific responsibilities delegated to the DCO.
USAD defines criteria ensuring that each Sample collected is stored in a manner that protects its integrity, identity, and security prior to transport from the Doping Control Station. At a minimum, these criteria should include detailing and documenting the location where Samples are stored and who has custody of the Samples and/or is permitted access to the Samples. USAD’s DCOs ensure that any Sample is stored in accordance with these criteria.
USAD develops a system for recording the Chain of Custody of the Samples and Sample collection documentation to ensure that the documentation for each Sample is completed and securely handled. This includes confirming that both the Samples and Sample collection documentation have arrived at their intended destinations.
USAD develops a system to ensure that, where required, instructions for the type of analysis to be conducted are provided to the Laboratory that will be conducting the analysis.
USAD authorizes a transport system that ensures Samples and documentation are transported in a manner that protects their integrity, identity, and security.
Samples are always transported to the Laboratory that will be analyzing the Samples using the USAD’s authorized transport method, as soon as possible after the completion of the Sample Collection Session. Samples are transported in a manner which minimizes the potential for Sample degradation due to factors such as time delays and extreme temperature variations.
DCOs send all relevant Sample Collection Session documentation to the USAD, using the USAD’s authorized transport method (which may include electronic transmission), immediately after the completion of the Sample Collection Session.
If the Samples with accompanying documentation or the Sample Collection Session documentation are not received at their respective intended destinations, or if a Sample’s integrity, identity or security may have been compromised during transport, USAD checks the Chain of Custody, and the Testing Authority considerswhether the Samples should be voided.
PROTECTION PRIVACY
USAD states its comply with International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information, even when its requirements exceed those arising under applicable data protection and privacy laws, reflecting the vital need to protect the privacy of Participants and other Persons involved in and associated with anti-doping in sport.
USAD maintains a record of the Processing of Personal Information for which it is responsible, which describes the general purposes of the Processing, a description of the types of Personal Information, the categories of potential recipients of the Personal Information, the safeguards used where Personal Information is disclosed to other Persons, the period for which the Personal Information will be stored, or the criteria used to determine this period, and a general description of the technical and organizational security measures applied to the Personal Information.
Documentation related to a Sample Collection Session is stored by USAD for the period and other requirements specified in the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information.
USAD ensures that it is the subject to appropriate controls, including contractual and technical controls, in order to protect the confidentiality and privacy of the Personal Information and ensures that the Personal Information is only Processed on behalf of the ADO or within the scope of the delegation or engagement, as the case may be.
USAD provides sufficient guarantees, in accordance with applicable law and International Standards, in respect of the technical security measures and organizational measures governing the Processing to be carried out.