Is lack of regulation clarity to blame for Sharapova’s failed drugs test?

Maria Sharapova has failed a drugs doping test at the Australian Open. Changes in regulations mean meldonium, once a prescription drug taken by the athlete, has now been banned

Changes and updates in pharmaceutical regulations are common occurrences across the globe and have been affecting pharmaceutical companies for decades.

Sharapova, a professional tennis player, who is ranked world No. 7 by the Women's Tennis Association, said at a press conference: “For the past ten years I have been given a medicine called mildronate by my doctor and a few days ago I found out that it also has another name of meldonium.

“It is very important for you to understand that for ten years this medicine was not on WADA’s (World Anti-Doping Agency) banned list and I had been legally taking the medicine.

“But on January 1st the rules had changed and meldonium became a prohibited substance.”

Mildronate, is a Latvian-manufactured drug popular for fighting heart disease in former Soviet Union countries.  The drug was added to WADA's banned list because there was 'evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance’, reported the Telegraph.

Sharapova said: “I was given this medicine by my doctor for several health issues that I was having back in 2006.”

Sharapova is not the first athlete to fail a drug test due to meldonium with Olympic short-track speed skating gold medalist Semion Elistratov, world champion speed skater Pavel Kulizhnikov, national volleyball team player Alexander Markin and weightlifter Alexei Lovchev each receiving positive results for the drug in recent tests.

The majority of these athletes come from countries where mildronate is a medicine that can be prescribed by doctors however, changing regulations surrounding pharmaceutical products have caused problems.

Regulators make information about changes readily available but as Sharapova admitted in the press conference, information and updates often get missed that shouldn’t be and can have devastating knock-on effects on those involved.