PRESS RELEASE

ITA LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL BLOOD COLLECTION OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM

The International Testing Agency (ITA) is proud to announce the upcoming launch of the International Blood Collection Officer (IBCO) Training Program, aimed at offering athletes, irrespective of their sport or country, quality anti-doping controls through safe and harmonised processes. This initiative is specifically targeted at nurses, physicians, and phlebotomists who already possess clinical qualifications in blood collection and want to apply their skills to the international sports anti-doping field.

After the successful launch of the ITA International Doping Control Officer (IDCO) training program with currently over 1600 graduates from 133 countries delivered in collaboration with over 84 National and Regional Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs/RADOs) and Sample Collection Agencies (SCAs), the ITA is proud to announce the upcoming launch of its International Blood Collection Officer (IBCO) Training Program.

Blood Collection Officers, also known as BCOs, play a crucial role in the anti-doping process by collecting blood samples from athletes. The ITA IBCO training program aims to provide athletes around the globe with the confidence that wherever they undergo testing and whatever sport they participate in, the doping control procedures are carried out with utmost safety, respect, and professionalism. This commitment ensures that athletes are subject to testing protocols aligned with international and best practices. Fully in compliance with the relevant standards and guidelines as set forth by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the curriculum and content of the ITA IBCO Training was developed in collaboration with and reviewed by several NADOs and SCAs.

The ITA IBCO Training Program is designed to equip qualified professionals including nurses, physicians and phlebotomists to be able to apply their clinical skills to the international context of doping controls, and to give them professional knowledge, confidence, and potential new opportunities to work with anti-doping teams at sporting events.  

Developed by healthcare professionals and industry experts, the program offers comprehensive training on anti-doping regulations, best practices in blood sample collection, and the opportunity for healthcare professionals to widen the scope of their involvement in the testing operations at sporting events. Along with training on the blood collection process in the sports setting, the program covers training on extended roles for IBCOs including chaperoning of athletes, sample collection witnessing, blood transport logistics and testing administration, to enable them to become a key member of the anti-doping team at international sporting events, opening doors to more opportunities to contribute to the fight against doping in sport.

"We are thrilled to launch the ITA IBCO Training Program," said Benjamin Cohen, Director General at the International Testing Agency. “The objective of this training program is to offer all athletes, irrespective of their sport or country, harmonised processes and professional clean sport operations that prioritise safety and integrity. We thank our partner NADOs and SCAs that have contributed to making this program a reality and invite all NADOs, RADOs, SCAs and Major Event Organisers to join this initiative and raise the skills and expertise of our workforce together as a global anti-doping community.”

Expressions of interest to apply for a place on ITA IBCO Training Program are now open, with the first events to be held in April 2025. For more information please visit www.ita.sport/ibco.

About the ITA

The International Testing Agency (ITA) is an international organisation constituted as a not-for-profit foundation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its mission is to manage anti-doping programs, independent from sporting or political powers, for International Federations (IFs), Major Event Organisers (MEOs) and all other anti-doping organisations requesting support.