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No Doping Concerns at the National Sports Festival! Busan Metropolitan City Protects the Health of Athletes and Citizens Through a Sports Pharmacy

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will operate a “Sports Pharmacy” on the first floor of the Busan Asiad Main Stadium (hereinafter referred to as the Main Stadium) during the 106th National Sports Festival (October 17–23) and the 45th National Para Games (October 31–November 5).

The Sports Pharmacy will operate to protect the health of athletes and citizens and to prevent doping incidents through professional medication counseling. The City is promoting and operating this initiative in close cooperation with the Busan Pharmaceutical Association.

• ●The Busan Pharmaceutical Association will provide sports-specialized pharmacists and pharmacy students as support staff, manage the list of medicines, indicate substances requiring caution for doping, and offer consultation on promotional materials.

• ●The City will oversee and support the operation of the Sports Pharmacy, handle public communication, and enhance public awareness—establishing a strong public-private cooperation model.

The Sports Pharmacy will be available not only to athletes and officials participating in the Games but also to volunteers and general spectators.

A pharmacist who has completed a professional course in sports pharmacy will be stationed at the pharmacy to provide various services, including:

• ●Doping prevention counseling and medication guidance

• ●Supply of emergency and over-the-counter medicines

• ●Medication counseling for injury management

• ●Guidance on the safe use of pharmaceuticals

Approximately 50 types of medicines—including pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, respiratory and digestive medications, and antihistamines—will be prepared after going through a prior review process to check for substances prohibited in doping tests.

(Antihistamines are used to relieve symptoms of allergies or colds—such as runny nose, sneezing, and itching—and may cause drowsiness or other side effects. Some components can affect doping test results; therefore, pharmacists’ consultation is recommended before use.)

In addition, athletes who need doping-related counseling at venues outside the Main Stadium can contact the Main Stadium Sports Pharmacy (☎ 051-801-3250~1) or use the “Find a Sports Pharmacist” telephone consultation service available on the Korean Pharmaceutical Association’s Sports Pharmacist website (sports.kpanet.or.kr/search/area.php).
Athletes can also receive guidance and counseling on prohibited substances from nearby pharmacies around competition venues.

Notably, the Busan Sports Pharmacy for this year’s National Sports Festival and National Para Games will be the first in the nation to offer on-site consultations for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) in cooperation with the Korean Pharmaceutical Association and the Korea Anti-Doping Agency (KADA).

A TUE allows athletes to be officially approved to use medications for legitimate therapeutic purposes necessary to maintain health and athletic performance. This on-site consultation service is expected to play an innovative role in alleviating athletes’ concerns about doping and reinforcing their rights to medical treatment.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to develop a standardized model for National Sports Festival Sports Pharmacies based on the results of this operation, including staffing, medicine composition, and counseling/education programs.
Furthermore, the City aims to use the pharmacy initiative to actively promote the National (and Para) Games to citizens and contribute to fostering a culture of safe medication use shared by both athletes and citizens.

Jo Gyuyul, Director General of Citizen Health Bureau, stated,
“The Sports Pharmacy will serve as a safety net to protect the health of athletes and prevent doping incidents. Building on the collaboration between the City and the Busan Pharmaceutical Association established for the National Sports Festival and Para Games, we plan to develop this initiative into a standardized model for Sports Pharmacies at future National Sports Festivals across the country.