Educational Opportunities and Anti-Doping Roles and Responsibilities for Pharmacists

Abstract

Drug use and abuse by athletes has become a common problem. Pharmacists can assist by managing the legitimate medication needs of athletes to prevent them from accidentally using a banned substance. Pharmacists can also educate athletes and the public about the health consequences of using performance-enhancing substances. Pharmacists can play a variety of roles to assist with anti-doping. Such roles include educating, advising, dispensing and monitoring medications and supplements; and working with anti-doping agencies. There are few established educational opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy students. Educational programs in sports pharmacy and doping control need to be developed for instruction in the classroom, for post-graduate training and for experiential programs. Classroom instruction should include information about performance-enhancing substances and general principles of doping control. Student activities for an established advanced pharmacy practice experience include education on performance-enhancing substances and assay technologies, preparing and providing presentations to athletes and others regarding these substances, performing literature research on drugs and dietary supplements used to improve athletic performance, writing a monograph on these substances, and participating in doping control programs.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Pharmacy Students in Qatar on Anti-Doping in Sports and on Sports Pharmacy in Undergraduate Curricula

“…4 The use of medications, dietary supplements, and other performanceenhancing substances is a widespread and challenging phenomenon. 5 Furthermore, athletes might unintentionally take prohibited substances, either through self-medication or physician prescription, as exemplified at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where a team physician prescribed a common cold medication, containing a prohibited drug, to an athlete. 6 Performance-enhancing and image-enhancing drugs are used widely in society and more specifically within sports.…”

“…Settings proposed for sports pharmacy content include the classroom, postgraduate training, and experiential programs. 5 There may be a need for core or elective courses on the basic principles of drug use and misuse in sports as part of undergraduate curricula in pharmacy. Elements of sports pharmacy that could be incorporated include the regulation of drug use in sports, substances and methods prohibited in sports, systems for doping control, and pharmacy clinical services to advise and support individuals who participate in sports and exercise.…”

Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes and Abuse Concerning Doping in Sport among Syrian Pharmacy Students

“…Several reports [25][26][27][28][29] have suggested a variety of roles for pharmacists to assist in doping control. Pharmacists who are drug experts can be a good resource of information to the general public and athletes on doping substances and associated hazards.…”

“…Additionally, pharmacists can provide counseling to athletes to prevent them from accidentally taking medical substances that are banned in particular sports. Furthermore, the emerging field of "sports pharmacy" has highlighted new duties for pharmacists in sports medicine and doping control [28,29]. Sport pharmacists are responsible for dispensing, advising, prescribing and monitoring sport medications and supplements whether they are intended for therapeutic or performance enhancement reasons.…”

Characteristics of the Japanese National Team of the First Youth Olympic Games

“…Japan Anti-doping Agency (JADA) opened sports pharmacist system in 2010. Pharmacists are experts in prohibited substance and advice athletes, and to join in the cause against doping [16].…”