As anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances in the United States the only way one may obtain them legally is through a licensed physician. This is the case with all Schedule III drugs but the enforcement of the law as it pertains to anabolic steroids remains in a more strict sense due to the perception from which they hold. As the law and hysteria that surrounds anabolic steroids is just that, hysterical, many physicians are absolutely petrified of prescribing anabolic steroids even for patients who truly need it. The fear is not irrational; many doctors have seen their lives and the lives of their families ruined for prescribing anabolic steroids to patients who were later determined by prosecutors to have obtained the substances for reasons outside the realm of the law. As this fear exists many physicians still prescribe anabolic steroids on a regular basis but there must be validity and there must be caution.
By way of the Steroid Control Act of 1990 anabolic androgenic steroids can and must only be prescribed for reasons of a medical purpose; muscular or athletic enhancement do not fall within this definition. In most cases the only reason one would receive a prescription for anabolic steroids would be in a majority of cases for the treatment of hypogonadism, as well as certain muscle wasting diseases. Hypogonadism is a condition most any man will eventually face as hormonal levels fall as we age; this is often referred to as Andropause or male menopause. As one can easily see symptoms brought on by low testosterone would be legal to treat medically with anabolic steroids but as the majority desires anabolic steroids for athletic and cosmetic purposes, nowhere does this fit in with the prescribed realm of the law.
Those who supplement with anabolic steroids for the purpose of performance enhancement run the risk of severe androgen suppression that can greatly extend past the use of anabolic steroids when use is far extended over a period of time; doses can also play a role. For this reason many athletes will visit their doctor to remedy the problem; in this case they are generally done with performance enhancing per say but require some sort of steroid treatment to increase testosterone levels to a stable level. However, as shared by Rick Collins, J.D., regarding one particular medical board reviewer such practice should be deemed invalid and for physicians who practice such methods have in-fact gone too far, as is the claim. Make no mistake, not all physicians feel this way; if an individual suffers from a medical condition, even it were derived from steroid abuse it does not mean his condition is any less real but the hysteria surrounding anabolic steroids is often so great logic often gives way to emotion. Conversely if a physician prescribes anabolic steroids to a patient on the basis of say hypogonadism yet uses that as a cover and prescribes them beyond therapeutic amounts, then a violation of the law has without question occurred. Such violations have become more common place than many think and harsh medical reviewers do all they can to discover this information through doctor patient records.
In recent years the advent of Hormone Replacement Clinics has absolutely exploded as they have sprung up across the nation like wildfire. As many in the population have begun to learn the horror stories of anabolic steroids are just that, “stories” the desire to improve both physical condition and appearance is at an all-time high. Further, many men have finally become aware of simple low testosterone; you’ve seen the commercials advertising the treatment of “Low-T” and men all over are deciding to do something about it; legal or otherwise education has begun to spread and one way or another men will get what they need. In an effort to receive such treatment many men choose HRT clinics as in many cases anabolic steroids and growth hormones is all they do; it is their specialty. However, as should be expected, these HRT clinics stay under heavy fire and in recent years arrest after arrest has been made. Medical review boards and the DEA watch such entities as they would a terrorist camp and this is not an exaggeration. Many assume that if they receive their steroids from an HRT clinic, even if it is in amounts above simple therapeutic needs they are protected by the law; this may or may not be true. Intent and knowledge is always in question and proving yours one way or another can be very difficult to do.
As many physicians have begun to see the light so to speak most remain locked deep in the crevices of fear. The truth is simple; while anabolic steroids are touched on when an individual goes to medical school it is not a primary area of focus; pharmacology classes do not spend any true time on anabolic steroids; why? Because the law of the land says they are bad and this statement is accepted often without question. For this reason most general practitioners will have little to no more knowledge than the average man as it pertains to steroids and if you are in the hunt for legally obtained steroids for legal purposes such a physician will never be your best bet.
