EVALUATION OF SPORTS PHARMACY IN TURKEY AND NORTH CYPRUS AS A NEW IMPORTANT FIELD FOR PHARMACISTS

Abstract

Sports have substantial socioeconomic and political importance worldwide and are today consideredto be an integral part of society. In the the world,almost all people are doing sports. Participation in sports and exercise is undertaken at all levels, from amateur enthusiasts to elite athletes.

Pharmacists are the drug experts who know contraindications, usages and side effects of drugs very well. People can have problem related with sports like injury, muscle pain, sprain etc. For these conditions, pharmacist is one of the the closest counseling person for patient. Sports pharmacy can be defined as area that is related with sports and pharmacist.

Doping is the one of the biggest problem in sport activity for Turkey, North Cyprus and for other countries. Some athletes do doping unconsciously. Pharmacists know all effects of drugs and they can control and inform the athletes about drugs that have doping effects. For decreasing these problems, sport pharmacists are needed in Turkey, North Cyprus and in other countries.

Athletes who are representing us at olympics have their own doctor, physiotherapist and coach. Moreover, they also need pharmacists. There is a growing need for specialist pharmacists in the area of sport and exercise.

The specialty of sports pharmacy covers,awareness of drugs in sports in the community, medicine & industry for both performance modification and the prevention and treatment of disease, knowledge of therapeutic use of drugs in sports and how pharmacist interventions can support sports related illness or injury, use of pharmacotherapy to prevent sport-related illness or injury and maintain well-being, safe and rational use of nutrition and supplements to optimise performance.

This research is the first study about sports pharmacy in Turkey and North Cyprus. The aim of the study was to increase awareness of pharmacists about sports pharmacy which is a new area for them. Moreover, in this study two survey were applied to pharmacists and pharmacy students and together withthese surveys, awareness of pharmacists and pharmacy students were determined.