SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Ever since Alex Rodriguez acknowledged taking "boli," a curious thing has happened in this country: It's become harder to find the drug.
The New York Yankees star recently admitted he used the performance enhancer from 2001-03 while with Texas. Rodriguez said a cousin persuaded him to use try it, adding the relative got it without a prescription and without consulting doctors or trainers.In the Dominican, "boli" commonly refers to the brand-name anabolic steroid Primobolic, also marketed as Primobolan. Rodriguez said he took the banned substance by injection.
"Primobolan is not imported by Dominican pharmaceutical agencies, but you can get it without problem in the underworld of steroids," said Milton Pinedo, head of the anti-doping program for the Dominican Olympic Committee.
Local bodybuilder Manuel Feliz said the steroid has been getting harder to find since A-Rod's remarks.
"Primobolan is used very frequently in the country's gyms, but since it was linked with the name Alex Rodriguez, it started disappearing from the market," Feliz said.
Dominican law says steroids can be sold only with a doctor's prescription. In practice, however, they are widely available at pharmacies without a prescription. Restrictions are tightly enforced on psychiatric drugs and barbiturates.
Pinedo called the relatively easy access to various steroids "a serious problem that affects considerably the health of Dominican athletes."
Some Dominican athletes also have resorted to veterinary supplies to access performance-enhancing drugs - at their own peril.
The 2001 deaths of prospects Lino Ortiz and William Felix after they injected themselves with veterinary substances led to protests calling for Major League Baseball to implement tougher screening for young ballplayers in the Dominican and other Latin countries.
Human growth hormone is readily accessible without a prescription at Dominican pharmacies.
"But it's not used very widely," Pinedo said. "Steroids continue to be the No. 1 attraction for athletes."
Rodriguez tested positive for steroids during baseball's anonymous drug survey in 2003. After his name was revealed, the three-time AL MVP said he used "boli."
Rodriguez is set to meet with MLB investigators on Sunday to talk about his use of performance-enhancing drugs. The meeting in the Tampa, Fla., area - where the Yankees hold spring training - is not designed to discipline Rodriguez. He will be accompanied by a personal lawyer and union representative.
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