The PFA will meet with Football Association medical bosses to discuss the findings of Monday's "Real Story" investigation on BBC1.

Neither party believes the programme's findings made any shocking revelations with regard to either the number of players who knew of colleagues who took performance-enhancing substances, or the testing programmes set up to catch the culprits out.

But the PFA - who instigated the survey - in particular did accept that the results, however small or flawed, must be acted upon.

Drugs shock for football

The PFA's deputy chief executive Mick McGuire said: "We have got nothing to hide and we will be taking things further with the FA's medical centre to make sure players continue to develop and have a proper knowledge of drugs.

"We do not believe that the problem is rife. Last year 1,200 tests were carried out in football and seven were positive, but three of those were for social use."

The programme revealed that a survey of 700 professional players found that 46% of players are aware of a colleague using recreational drugs while 5.6% are aware of players using performance-enhancing substances.

It also questioned whether the visits the FA's testers made to clubs and training grounds had become so predictable or expected that offending players were given plenty of time for evasion.

The FA denied during the BBC programme that major flaws existed and questioned suggestions that the British game had an increasing drug problem.

The FA's director of medical education and services Alan Hodson said: "We do seven days a week of testing which starts in pre-season.

"When some players say they've been informed...that we're coming, it may mean they go over to the training ground and their names are collected and put into a hat.

Test system flaws exposed

"It may be the case that one hour beforehand they do know that we're coming."

Hodson implied that the lead instigated by the Italian authorities, who routinely test two players after every match, was impractical.

He added: "Could I do more? The more you do the more there is the deterrent - that's true, but the more it will cost. If somebody wants to give me free tests then I'll do it."