About The Athlete's Formulary
The Athlete's Formulary (TAF) is a medication governance reference for qualified healthcare professionals working in sport. It exists because no existing clinical reference addresses the full complexity of medicines use in athletes — the intersection of anti-doping compliance, adverse drug reactions, and performance impact that defines medicines decisions in elite sport.
TAF is not a diagnostic tool and does not provide diagnostic guidance. It does not replace clinical assessment, laboratory investigation, or specialist referral. It supports the governance layer — the documentation, agent selection, and compliance considerations that sit above the prescribing decision and ensure the right standards are met.
Each entry is structured around a consistent 12-field template covering athlete-specific indications, contraindications, formulation and route, dose and timing around training, performance-impact risks, recovery-impact risks, supplement and nutrition interactions, contamination and anti-doping risk, WADA status and governance, international and jurisdictional considerations, club cost consideration, and allergens, religious and lifestyle considerations. A pharmacogenomics field renders where clinically relevant.
Independence and Impartiality
The authors of The Athlete's Formulary receive no payment, financial incentive, or inducement of any kind for the inclusion or recommendation of any product, brand, or manufacturer within this resource. No commercial relationships influence TAF content.
This independence is not incidental — it is foundational. The clinical value of TAF depends entirely on the trust of the healthcare professionals who use it. That trust is only possible where content is free from commercial influence, and we are committed to maintaining that standard without exception.
TAF Evidence Rating System
For entries covering emerging or evolving treatments, TAF assigns an evidence rating adapted from the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) Levels of Evidence (2011). The rating appears only where the evidence base is uncertain or evolving — not for established medicines where the clinical position is well settled.
| Level | Study Type |
|---|---|
| A | Systematic review or meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials |
| B | Individual RCT or strong observational data |
| C | Non-randomised controlled study or cohort data |
| D | Case series, preclinical data, or mechanistic human studies |
| E | In vitro, animal, or theoretical data only |
Where the evidence level and the clinical recommendation diverge, a TAF note is added to explain the divergence. The rating system is intentionally sparse — a TAF note appears only when the letter grade alone would mislead rather than inform.
The Three Clinical Pillars
TAF is built around three risks that medicines decisions in sport uniquely carry:
Relationship to MedsOnTrack
TAF is the public-facing clinical reference layer above MedsOnTrack, a medication governance platform for elite sport. TAF provides the clinical framework. MedsOnTrack provides the operational governance infrastructure for organisations.
TAF is currently in restricted beta. To report content errors or request access, contact colin@medsontrack.com.