What is Sports Pharmacy?

Sports pharmacy is defined by the use of pharmacy knowledge and skills in the context of sport and exercise, to support healthcare innovation and athlete wellbeing, balancing high performance goals with pharmacy ethics and sports integrity.

Traditionally, sports pharmacy knowledge is termed "Drugs-in-Sport Expertise" with the application of this knowledge in a clinical setting (i.e., directly caring for athletes, providing pharmacy services, practicing as a community druggist or chemist) is a specialty practice of pharmacy or applied within pharmaceutical sciences. The lifestyle of athletes makes them a unique patient population for whom we customize pharmacy practices and medication counseling. The diverse world of sports, sporting competition, and standard for sports integrity guide decisions.

Sports Pharmacists accept the role and responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel as healthcare professionals, defined by sports governing bodies, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee Medical Code.

Competitive athletes are often single-sport focused and may qualify to be in a Testing Pool for antidoping, which may require drug adjustments for alteration in physiology (not pathological), along with strict attention to anti-doping code by which they abide. 

Any exercise enthusiast, patient striving for better health through exercise and sport, or any other consumer interested in body image modification through the legal use of substances or methods may seek advice of specially-trained sports-and-exercise-medicine (SEM) Sports Pharmacists.

As with all pharmacists, Sports Pharmacists work within the pharmacy scope of practice, ethical and legal standards that are required to maintain licensure and registration.

UPDATE:

In 2024, the U.S. Sports Pharmacy Group provided their definition of "Sports Pharmacy" for the United States, which ISPN will endorse. Following a task force of stakeholders who have been leaders in sports pharmacy for decades, combined with new insight and feedback from those who also work with athletes, the definition is:

Sports Pharmacy Definition

Sports pharmacy is the specialized practice of pharmacy that focuses on the use and education of therapeutic interventions, including, but not limited to, medications and supplements to optimize physical and cognitive performance, maintain sports integrity, and support recovery for athletes and physically active individuals across all demographics. 

Responsibility Statement

Sports pharmacists practice with the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, adhering to relevant laws, regulations, and policies set by appropriate governing bodies. They are integral members of interprofessional teams, focusing on medication optimization and advocating for athlete’s health and wellness.

Supporting Organizations for this definition

International Sports Pharmacy Network

University of Southern California

Wingate University