Anti-Doping Knowledge and Opinions of South African Pharmacists and General Practitioners

Abstract

Objective: Despite the prevalence of doping in sport and the need for doping prevention strategies, information about doping awareness among medical professionals is limited. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude of South African pharmacists (Ps) and general practitioners (GPs) towards doping in sports. Methods: An online survey questionnaire was completed by 98 Ps and 201 GPs the questionnaire incorporated a range of questions that probed the participant’s knowledge and attitudes regarding doping in sport. Results: The study findings revealed that both Ps and GPs admitted a poor knowledge of doping-related matters and lacked doping-specific training (>80% of both GPs and Ps had not received any formal training and/or attended any courses or workshops specific to doping in sport). Over 88% of all respondents felt that they were not adequately trained for the role of doping prevention in sport and more than 92% felt that they required further training in relation to doping in sport issues Conclusions: Although Ps fared slightly better when questioned about their knowledge of certain doping relatedtopics, overall it was evident that both groups would benefit from additional training that would focus on expanding their knowledge of prohibited substances and the associated legislature to the possible benefit of their patients.