Posted: November 19, 2005

Drugs in Sport: WADA Launches Web-based Anti-doping Management System

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) yesterday announced the launch of ADAMS, the Anti-Doping Administration & Management System, a web-based database management system that helps coordinate anti-doping activities worldwide under the World Anti-Doping Code.

"This is a significant step forward for global efforts to rid sport of doping," said WADA director general David Howman, in a press release. "ADAMS simplifies the process for everyone. It helps us all become even more efficient at catching the cheaters and levelling the playing field for clean athletes around the globe."

According to WADA, with ADAMS in place, all parties involved in anti-doping activities are now able to coordinate information within one secure system, from athletes providing whereabouts information, to anti-doping organizations (ADO) ordering tests, to laboratories reporting results, to ADOs managing results.

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) implemented the system into its anti-doping program in October.

"Already, we are beginning to notice the benefits of ADAMS," said CCES general manager Jeremy Luke. "It has increased our efficiency and allowed more economic use of our resources, all in a secure online environment." Luke said the implementation has been "relatively" smooth and the feedback from athletes and sport administrators positive.

The system went online in mid-2005 in its initial pilot phase. 30 anti-doping organizations and 10 laboratories have since been added to the system. WADA envision bringing 80 ADOs and all anti-doping labs online in 2006.