Mark Stuart
Published in the Pharmaceutical Journal UK, 2001.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity of working as a pharmacist at the pharmacy in the athletes’ village at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, last year. It gave me a unique insight into sports medicine and the operation of an Olympic pharmacy. A team of 20 volunteer pharmacists was chosen from nearly 1,000 applicants from all over Australia to operate the pharmacy over the two-week period of the games, providing a service to nearly 12,000 athletes.

The pharmacy was within the polyclinic in the village, along with other medical services including sports medicine, physiotherapy, radiology, dentistry, massage, hydrotherapy, opthalmology, an emergency department with three intensive care beds, and general medical consulting services. A team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals made up the medical team, all volunteering their services for the duration of the games.