Thought leaders in sports pharmacy.
Experts in sports pharmacy program development.
The International Sports Pharmacist Network is a consulting firm that publishes integrity standards for sports pharmacy through expert consensus, supports development of sports pharmacy training, and offers opportunities for aspiring sports pharmacists to discover opportunities for collaboration.
Our mission statements aim our focus for:
Energizing pharmacists' performance with the spirit of sport.
Promoting collaboration through networking and mentorship with augmented training pathways.
Transforming sick care into healthcare.
The International Sports Pharmacists Network (ISPN) was formally established in 2019 to advance the specialty of sports pharmacy on a global scale and provide a collaborative platform for pharmacists with a shared interest in athlete health and a passion for sports and exercise.
It began in 2002, when the International Sports Pharmacists Network's founder, Ashley Anderson was a young, registered pharmacist who began working with neighbors, friends and patients who were athletes. Her proximity to the Olympic Training Center led to elite athletes asking her about use of prescriptions, OTC medications, and dietary supplements.
Hired by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency in 2006 to answer calls on the Drug Reference Line and create drug resources for athletes, Ashley Anderson soon became an expert at interpreting the WADA Prohibited List of Substances and Methods and the TUE application process. Using her clinical pharmacy skills from her on-going job as a clinical pharmacist at the local hospital, she would bridge both worlds of sport and health.
Following the successful launch by JADA of the Sports Pharmacist System in 2010, Ashley Anderson began to push for the worldwide education of more pharmacists on the subject of anti-doping, to prevent inadvertent doping and deter misuse of drugs. Substances may risk health, reputations, and negatively impact athlete's relationships, but may also risk the pharmacist licensure or career if the pharmacist is negligent or breaks the rules.
Anderson brought together her international network of pharmacists in sports, anti-doping, and academia to create a Leadership Circle of thought leaders and practioners of sports pharmacy. The founder began recruiting highly respected experts to coordinate their efforts, to further standardize training and expectation for qualifications. This Leadership Circle is an invite-only network that works through many channels to safeguard athletes and support sports integrity.
The relentless work of our founder to establish a clear role for pharmacists in sports and antidoping is still on-going. This network of skillful, helpful, knowledgeable pharmacists and drugs in sport experts formed to support learning and broadcast ideas.
ISPN hosts online meetings (meet and greet), created a social media presence, and refers qualified pharmacists to job opportunities in sports. Further work to develop best practices happens through the Leadership Circle.