As soon as we published our bit on Neifi Perez testing positive again for amphetamine, Neifi came out to say that he suffers from ADHD; he added that he takes Adderall (a mix of amphetamine salts) for ADHD. (ESPN story here) (Foul balls line here)
However, there are several issues in his statements.
- Neifi said a psychologist diagnosed him with ADHD and then gave him Adderall. Psychologists cannot prescribe medications;
- 'The team' gave him the medication. Oops. Adderall is a Schedule 2 controlled substance, which can only be prescribed by a physician with a DEA number. If 'the team' gave it to him (presumably the trainer) that is a violation of federal narcotics law;
- Neifi says someone from the team told him to use amphetamine. Another oops. It is not recommended to look to baseball players for advice on drugs, and therapeutic doses.
Perez needed to pay attention to team meetings about Therapeutic Use Exceptions. These are exceptions to drug policies when an athlete takes a banned PED but for a diagnosed medical condition.
For a TUE an athlete needs an official diagnosis of the condition, a legal prescription, and for the doctor to fill out the TUE form.
Either Neifi or his doctor (if he had one) wasn't paying attention.
We have treated professional athletes before. It is amazing how many obtain drugs form trainers, who have no business giving out medicines to athletes.
"It's not fair," said Perez in a conversation with ESPNdeportes.com from his home in Detroit.
"They called three different positives on a 20-day-period. I was using a medicine that was supposedly authorized by the doctors due to a personal condition."
Perez was suspended for 25 games on July 6 when he tested positive for a second time and was set to return on Saturday. Under baseball's labor contract, a player who tests positive for the first time is sent for counseling.
He will miss the final 54 games of the regular season and finish serving the suspension next year, if he is signed. Because of his initial positive test, Perez is subject to at least six additional tests over the next year.
"Many people might be trying to understand how is it possible that a player tests positive for the same substance three times in half a season," Perez said. "The truth is that they tested me four times between May 10th and June 1st and they never told me if there was anything wrong. I have been using that same medicine all this time."
Perez said that by the end of last season, he could not focus on games and visited a psychologist, who diagnosed him with ADHD and prescribed him Adderall, an amphetamine.
Perez claims that the team gave him the medicine and he used it at the end of last season, including during Detroit's playoffs and World Series run. But when spring training began, Perez finished his dose and the doctors gave him a new prescription.
"I went to two different drug stores and they wouldn't sell me the medicine, so someone from the team told me I could use any amphetamine and I started using something else," said Perez. "They tested me during spring training and everything was negative. But then in May I guess I tested positive, but they never told me there was something wrong.
"Even twice, they only tested me, when the regular procedure is to test at least four or five players."
Perez said that the MLB Players Association appealed the last suspension, but could not change the decision.
Pay attention out there!
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