The history of doping dates back to the 800s BC in ancient Greece. The word "doping" derives from the viscous opium extract called "dope" which was used as a stimulating drink. Until the discovery of the first synthetic doping substance, amphetamine, in 1920, plant-based substances were used for doping. In 1928, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned stimulants for the first time.
In 1963, the European Council established a Commission to combat doping, and at the same time, the definition of 'Sports Pharmacy' appeared in an article for the first time in America. In this article, the role of the pharmacist was described as an active civilian defender of public health and safety in sports, providing individual athletes with consultancy on preventive sports medicine and first aid use, giving advice as a colleague of the team doctor and trainer, and providing them with medication and equipment for the treatment room
In 1967, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) published its first List of Prohibited Substances. In the following years, substances such as caffeine, testosterone, beta-blockers, growth hormone, and erythropoietin were banned.
As a result of the raid during the 1998 Tour de France (Festina Affair), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999.
In 2006, a six-year pharmacy course began. The second-class licensing system for drug retailers was stopped, and a system was established for registered drug sellers. The Japanese government signed the UNESCO International Convention. In 2009, the JADA Sports Pharmacist System was launched, and the registered drug sales system came into effect. In 2010, the first certified sports pharmacists began their duties in Japan.