DOHA: With major international sporting events being hosted on a regular basis in Qatar, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is preparing pharmacists in the field of drugs in sport to enable them in offering accurate advice on the safe, effective and legal use of medicines and supplements to those participating in sport and exercise.
The Pharmacy Department at HMC has already started training its staff and held a four days’ workshop which covered different aspects of drugs in sport under title “the role of healthcare providers in the effective and legal use of drugs in sport”
“At present pharmacists are not very much aware about doping and anti-doping in sports and the legal implications of using a prohibited substance by an athlete. It’s a new area of speciality. But it’s becoming quite important as sports events in Qatar are increasing and we are preparing for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. So series of lectures and workshops will be continued,” said Dr Moza Al Hail, Executive Director, Pharmacy Department at the HMC.
“During the workshop participants are trained and educated about the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) list of prohibited substances and methods, therapeutics use exemptions TUEs international standards and the role of pharmacists in major sport events. Those who underwent training will train others. These training sessions address every aspect of drugs in sport and we have invited trainers from other countries,” she added speaking to media persons recently.
The Pharmacy Department at HMC has been involved in a research project in collaboration with Qatar University’s (QU), College of Pharmacy & Liverpool John Moores University, UK. The project results have contributed to incorporate Drugs in Sport as an elective course into the curriculum of the college. Further, as part of collaboration the Pharmacy Department at HMC trains all students of College of Pharmacy from the second year of their study program in aspects of pharmacy functions and medicines.
“We work closely with Qatar University, College of Pharmacy and we train their students across all HMC pharmacies,” said Dr Al Hail.
Further the Pharmacy Department has strong collaborations with several international institutions including the Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen University in the UK as well as the Institution of Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), International Medication Safety Network (IMSN), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
As result of local and international collaborations and the vision of the Pharmacy Department, the staff undergo continues training and get involve in academic aspects such as research.
"Now pharmacists are not just dispensing medicine; we have got into every aspect such as the clinics and research and information technology. HMC pharmacists through continuous professional education has attained sound knowledge and contribute to patient safety. Our pharmacists are actively involved in research and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide excellent patient care. We train them on how to write a research proposal and do a systematic review,” said Dr Al Hail. “In research, we have looked into medication safety, which is a most important area for any healthcare setting,” said Dr Al Hail.
In 2017 the pharmacy department has published over 25 research articles in different international publications.
