Anti-doping Activities by Hospital Pharmacists

Abstract

With the hosting of the Tokyo Olympics, interest in anti-doping (AD) has increased, and at the same time, sports pharmacists (SPs) are expected to play active roles. However, despite the fact that it has been more than 10 years since the SP certification system was launched, the existence and roles of SPs are not well recognized by sports officials, and many SPs feel that there is no place or way for them to contribute. In my case, as a staŠ member of the federation, I have supported competitions as a referee and secretariat, so I have had opportunities to conduct AD activities such as seminars for athletes and coaches, and to respond to inquiries. Also, in my work as a hospital pharmacist, I have had opportunities to respond to informal inquiries about AD measures from hospital staŠ. In both cases, I think it was very important to first make people aware of the existence of SPs.The current problem is that it is sometimes difficult for the federation's staŠ to respond promptly, which puts a burden on their normal work. Therefore, it is important to have pharmacists who are close to the athletes and can provide health consultations on a daily basis in order to share correct information, educate them about AD measures, and help manage their health.