The Effectiveness of Educational Presentations by Sports Pharmacists on Anti-Doping and Medication Management

Abstract

We investigated the effectiveness of using a “Sports Pharmacist” to prevent the occurrence of doping in sports.
During the first step, we individually interviewed 17 high school softball team athletes and determined their regular and/or occasional use of prescription and OTC medications, herbal agents, vitamins and supplements. A total of 76％ of these players were either taking or had access to medications for occasional use that contained prohibited substances. Athletes determined to be using a prohibited compound were sent a written notice that recommended they avoid carelessly taking these banned substances.
In the subsequent step, we gave an educational lecture to the entire team on how to avoid doping in sports. Before and after the presentation, we evaluated the effectiveness of the lecture by examining the athletes’ knowledge and awareness of anti-doping in sports. The results indicated a significant difference after the lecture with regard to appropriate knowledge and awareness of anti-doping in sports. This specific awareness continued for at least a month.
In summary, medication reviews and one-on-one consultation with athletes in conjunction with a follow-up educational lecture to the team as a group resulted in successfully educating and helping team members avoid doping. In addition, these findings demonstrated the effectiveness of the “Sports Pharmacist” profession in working with athletes to help prevent doping in the future.