Ireland player banned after pharmacy error

NEWS: Munster prop James Cronin has been handed a one-month ban for “an unintentional anti-doping violation” blamed on a pharmacy mix-up, European Professional Club Rugby announced Monday.

Cronin is unlikely to miss any matches though given all major Rugby Union is currently suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic and unlikely to resume during the course of a suspension that runs from April 15-May 16.

Cronin tested positive for the banned substances prednisolone and prednisone, for which he had no therapeutic use exemption, following Munster’s European Champions Cup match against Paris-based Racing 92 in November.

However, EPCR found a mix-up at a pharmacy, which saw Cronin given medication meant for another customer rather than the antibiotics he had been prescribed, was behind the front row forward’s positive test.

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Nevertheless, an independent judicial officer felt the 29-year-old Cronin ought to take some responsibility, even though he was ruled not to have been significantly at fault.

“These past few months have been very trying for myself and my family and I am glad that this issue has been resolved so that I can focus fully on rugby when it resumes,” Cronin told the Irish Rugby Football Union’s website.

“I accept that this is a strict liability offence and that even though the medication taken was due to a very serious and unexpected dispensing error, it has taught me a very valuable lesson that I hope my fellow players and any other athletes can also learn from.”

Cronin added he was “confident” his friends and fellow players, as well as the rugby media and rugby public, would understand “I never acted with any intent nor in any manner to intentionally compromise the EPCR tournament.”