Abstract

"THE ROLE OF SPORTS PHARMACISTS IN PREVENTING DOPING IN SPORTS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW"

Subhanalla Abdulgani G., Dr. Safa Wasay, Dr. Mohd Owais, Arbaz khan, Abdullah and Dr. Syed Afzal Uddin Biyabani*

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Abstract

The increasing prevalence of doping in sports has raised significant concerns about athlete health, integrity of competition, and fair play. Sports pharmacists have emerged as key stakeholders in preventing doping by providing education, ensuring compliance with anti-doping regulations, and safeguarding athletes from unintentional violations. This review explores the critical role of sports pharmacists in doping prevention, emphasizing recent developments in their responsibilities. Sports pharmacists work collaboratively with athletes, coaches, and medical teams to provide up-to-date information about banned substances and ensure safe medication practices. Their expertise in pharmacology enables them to review medications, assess risks of drug interactions, and recommend safer alternatives. In the context of supplement use, sports pharmacists play a pivotal role in evaluating product ingredients to avoid contaminated or mislabeled supplements, which pose a significant doping risk. This paper also examines their involvement in the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process, where athletes require restricted substances for medical reasons. Furthermore, recent advancements in doping detection and the increasing recognition of the pharmacist’s role within multidisciplinary teams highlight their importance in anti-doping strategies. This review concludes by identifying gaps in current research, calling for further exploration into the impact of pharmacist-led interventions in reducing doping incidents. By addressing these gaps, sports pharmacists can contribute more effectively to the ongoing efforts toward clean and fair sports.

Keywords: Sports, pharmacists, athletes, Preventing, Doping, Sports.