Which Top 25 College Football Teams Inject Players With Controversial Painkiller?

Jan. 3, 2013 — -- intro: ABC News sent a questionnaire to the country's top 25 ranked college football programs asking about their use of prescription painkillers. The survey asked whether the programs currently use injections of the painkiller Toradol or its generic version, Ketorolac, on game day. Manufacturer labels for the drug include warnings of possible side effects that include increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attack, and stroke. The survey also asked whether the programs track the use of prescription painkillers on players by team doctors. While some schools declined to comment, the results of the questionnaire show that some still use Toradol.

quicklist: 1category: Painkillers and College Footballtitle: Notre Dametext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"We will decline to participate in your survey."quicklist: 2category: title: Alabamatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 3category: title: Ohio Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? No. Ohio State said it has "never used Toradol prophylactically to treat gameday pain."

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 4category: title: Floridatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 5category: title: Oregontext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 6category: title: Georgiatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? No.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 7category: title: Kansas Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 8category: title: Stanfordtext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"Thank you for your inquiry. We will respectively pass on participating in this report."quicklist: 9category: title: LSUtext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.

quicklist: 10category: title: Texas A&Mtext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Yes.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 11category: title: South Carolinatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"Our medical staff declined to participate."quicklist: 12category: title: Oklahomatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? The school said it stopped using the painkillers in 2012 after using them repeatedly in 2010 and 2011.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? "Yes, the physicians of record track medications issued to patients who are student-athletes."quicklist: 13category: title: Florida Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 14category: title: Clemsontext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Yes.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 15category: title: Oregon Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? No.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 16category: title: Northern Illinoistext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 17category: title: UCLAtext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"Thank you for writing and inquiring, but UCLA is going to respectfully decline comment on this matter."quicklist: 18category: title: Michigantext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"Thank you for your email and your interest in our medical practices. This is private medical information regarding our student-athletes and we do not wish to share it publicly."quicklist: 19category: title: Boise Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? No.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Yes.quicklist: 20category: title: Northwesterntext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"We will politely decline. Thanks for your understanding."quicklist: 21category: title: Louisvilletext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Declined to comment.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Declined to comment.

"Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your study, but we do not discuss the medical histories of our student-athletes."quicklist: 22category: title: Nebraskatext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? "The use of injectable ketorolac is a consideration when three criteria are met: 1. The athlete is receiving treatment for an injury. 2. The medication is prescribed by the treating physician. 3. The student-athlete consents to use of the medication. While team physicians reserve the option to use injectable Toradol (ketorolac), it is rarely prescribed, and its use had been avoided this season following recent reports of heightened concern of possible adverse effects. "

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? "We follow federal and state prescribing rules, and the athletic trainers monitor the athlete's pain management during rehab. We treat the student-athletes like any adult in the community needing medication for an acute injury."quicklist: 23category: title: San Jose Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Yes.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? No.

"Yes, we are using it, only selectively and only on game days. ... We don't keep team medication reports."quicklist: 24category: title: Kent Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.quicklist: 25category: title: Utah Statetext:Does Your Football Program Use Toradol or Ketorolac? Did not respond.

Do You Track Prescription Painkiller Use by Athletes? Did not respond.

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