British and Japanese Implement Drug Testing For Major National Sporting Venues

Britain
Golfers who wish to swing their clubs in this year's British Open will need to undergo substance abuse testing. Drug testing will be implemented for the first time ever in the event's regal history. Golfers will be tested based on the European Tour's anti-doping procedures. Testing is nothing new to the Tours golfers as they are tested for performance enhancing drugs as well as other illegal substances at other major events. The British Open will be held July 16 - 19 of this year.

Japan
The Japan Sumo Association recently implemented random drug tests for all of its members as drug related incidents have been on the rise lately. Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corp., Japan's only institution certified by world anti-doping agency (WADA) is in charge of all drug testing. Recent substance abuse violations include the arrest of wrestler Wakakirin for suspicion of possessing marijuana. Wakakirin became the first Japanese wrestler to be arrested in a marijuana related case and the latest to be expelled from the Sumo Federation. In 2008, three Russian wrestlers were dismissed from the Sumo organization for allegedly smoking marijuana. Two of them, brothers Roho and Hakurozan, tested positive in a urine screening although they denied using drugs.

New Oxycodone Formula Gets Backing of FDA

The FDA recently voted in favor of pushing a new formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride for approval. The new OxyContin formula is more difficult to crush or dissolve which will hopefully make it harder to be used as a drug of abuse . The FDA recommended that Purdue Pharma's application for a new, resin-coated formulation should replace the original version, which has been on the market since 1996. Randall Flick, MD, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic who voted to recommend approval of the drug said, "Clearly the old formulation is worse than the new, although I think the difference is relatively small," Flick concluded, "Hardcore abusers are likely to devise new ways to break down the harder tablet or figure out which solvents will dissolve it fastest, within 'day or weeks' of the product's release on the market."

Utah Debates Drug Testing for Public Assistance

Utah has begun to follow the path that so many other states have traveled earlier this year. The path leads to drug testing for public assistance. Utah Senator Dennis Stowell had asked that the issue be studied carefully and Rep. Christopher Herrod said "If someone's on drugs, we shouldn't be giving them money," he said. "There's nowhere in the Constitution that says, 'You have a right to get welfare." At the center of the debate is cost and legality. An analyst for Community Action Partnership of Utah stated that "The cost to test all Utah’s families that receive 'Temporary Assistance for Needy Families' would be high." The analyst added, "That testing all welfare recipients just once would cost about $255,000 and a lawsuit against the state would likely cost more than $1 million." Further discussion and analysis is planned in the upcoming months to decide whether to study the issue further, table the issue or wait un

PHOTOS: MMC Through the Years

Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) is excited to be celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2020! MMC was founded on June 21, 1990. Check out some photos as we have grown over the years!

Nationwide Drug Testing and On-Site Medical Services By Mobile Medical Corporation

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