Mark Stuart BPharm MRPharmS
Bill Horsfall FPS (Aust) AACPA
Mel Blachford PhC (Aust) FPS
Published in the Pharmaceutical Journal UK, 2006

The pharmacy within the polyclinic of the Athletes’ Village at the recent Melbourne Commonwealth Games was a showcase of modern Australian pharmacy practice. Twenty volunteer pharmacists from Victoria and from other Australian states served a record 4500 athletes and 1500 team officials who converged on Melbourne for the 12 days of competition.

The pharmacy was located at the entrance to the purpose built medical centre where all medical disciplines were represented. The close proximity and frequent communication between specialist sports medicine, physiotherapy, podiatry, optometry, medical imaging and dentistry services, meant that athletes received concentrated treatment from a highly specialised multidisciplinary team, in a single visit to the polyclinic. This environment, unique to the games setting, allowed pharmacists to actively contribute clinical and pharmacological information as part of the ‘front line’ care for athletes and team officials.