Chris Davis set a club record last year with 53 home runs. Yet, his presence in the media now has more to do with his ADHD and suspension for the use of Adderall. This has been a set of unfortunate circumstances since Mr. Davis has ADHD which was diagnosed years ago and treated with ADHD medication. The article in the Baltimore Sun newspaper February 27, 2015 reviews and clarifies the current status with Mr. Davis and his provision for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).

I was interviewed for the article to provide background on ADHD, medications, treatment, and the increased attention by professional sports to formalize a process by which players can be appropriately identified with ADHD and permitted to take medication for this disorder. It is my hope that professional sport leagues, international sports leagues, and college sports consider adopting a clear protocol for diagnosis and treatment according to experts in the ADHD field.  In doing so, we can identify athletes without ADHD who seek to take stimulants for performance enhancement and penalize them accordingly while allowing those with ADHD to seek and follow their treatment.

David W. Goodman, M.D.