RNSW_Oct 21_Col_W

time to time by the Australian Racing Board and published in the Racing Calendar. (4) The screening limit testing provided for in this Rule is not intended and does not operate to mean that for the purpose of the Rules the therapeu- tic substance only becomes a prohibited substance if and when the screening limit is exceeded. (5) It shall not be a defence to any charge under AR.177, AR.177A or AR.178 that the result of any initial screening test or screening analysis should have been below the screening limit for the therapeutic substance in question. AR.1 definitions “therapeutic substance” means a prohibited substance to which a screening limit applies, and which is promulgated as such from time to time by the Australian Racing Board and published in the Racing Calendar. “screening limit” means the concentration of a therapeutic substance or its specified metabolite present in a sample during a screening test or analysis as specified in AR.178EA(2), above which the therapeutic sub- stance will be notified as a prohibited substance. SCREENING LIMITS POLICY Over time, ongoing research and development and the introduction of new technologies by racing laboratories means that analytical equipment and methods improve, resulting in increased sensitivity of analysis in the testing of prohibited substances, and therefore lower limits of detection. Increased sensitivity of analysis means that a substance present in a sample at a certain concentration which was not able to be detected in the year 2000 may be able to be detected using the analytical equipment and methods available in 2012. In the case of illicit performance-modifying substances which have no legitimate role or accepted therapeutic use in racehorses, increased sen- sitivity of analysis is a positive development. It is vital that the racing laboratories harness the full capabilities of modern science to detect the presence of such substances at any level. However, as a matter of policy the Australian Racing Board does not believe it is necessary to employ highly sensitive methods of analysis for those therapeutic substances which do have a legitimate place in the racing industry, including for welfare reasons. It is for this reason, as well as the desire for objectivity, transparency and international harmonisation that the concept of screening limits for certain therapeutic substances has been developed. The therapeutic substances assigned screening limits are some commonly-used equine medications representing a range of therapeutic classes, including nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, local anaesthetics and tranquillisers. Screening limits Along with most other international racing jurisdictions, the Australian Racing Board has approved the development of formal screening limits for certain therapeutic substances. These therapeutic substances include phenylbutazone, flunixin and lignocaine as examples. The screening limit is the concentration of a particular therapeutic substance (or its metabo- lite) in urine or plasma above which the racing laboratory will call the sample positive. Their adoption was facilitated by the introduction of Rule AR.178EA on 1 October 2012. Each screening limit has been derived from previous administration stud- ies involving horses, followed by a risk analysis consisting of two compo- nents: a risk assessment (evaluation of the effect of the substance and factors related to its control) and a risk management (decision step for harmonisation). Screening limits are harmonised detection limits agreed following input by international consensus and are conveyed by instruc- tion from racing authorities to their racing laboratories. The screening limits are simply the detection limits to be used by the laboratories when screening for certain specified therapeutic substances; they are not inter- national thresholds. When the screening procedure in the first laboratory indicates the screening limit for the particular substance has been exceeded, all that is required is qualitative confirmatory analysis (usually by mass spectrometry) to confirm the presence of the prohibited sub- stance. Similarly, when the reserve portion of the sample is referred to the second (referee) laboratory, all that is required is qualitative confirmatory analysis to confirm the presence of the prohibited substance. Screening limits do not affect liability The implementation of screening limits in racing is not intended and does not operate to mean that for the purpose of the Rules of Racing the ther- apeutic substance only becomes a prohibited substance if and when the screening limit is exceeded. It shall not be a defence to any charge under AR.177, AR.177A or AR.178 that the result of any initial screening test should have been below the screening limit for the therapeutic substance in question. Advice on detection periods Industry participants are advised that information on the detection peri- ods for many of the therapeutic drugs assigned screening limits are available in a series of Information Sheets and related articles on the RIRDC website at: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/publications. These resources were produced by the consortium that was responsible for the 2012 RIRDC research publication entitled “The Pharmacokinetics of Equine Medications”, which detailed the results a large, multicentre study on the detection of therapeutic substances in horses. In making any decision regarding the administration of a therapeutic pro- hibited substance to a horse that is entered to race, industry participants are reminded of their responsibilities in undertaking the appropriate level of due diligence and risk analysis in researching the available information on detection periods, including the seeking of veterinary advice and add- ing an adequate safety margin. Participants are advised to take a con- servative approach, and consider all variables such as dose, length of treatment and route of administration, when calculating withdrawal times for therapeutic substances where information on detection times is avail- able. COMPULSORY TREATMENT RECORDING IN RACING STABLES AR.178F “(1) A trainer must record treatment and medication administered to each horse in his or her care by midnight on the day on which the administra- tion was given, and each record must include the following information: (a) the name of the horse; (b) the date and time of administration of the treatment or medication; (c) the name of the treatment or medication administered (brand name or active constituent); (d) the route of administration including by injection, stomach tube, paste, topical application or inhalation); (e) the amount of medication given (if applicable); (f) the duration of a treatment (if applicable); (g) the name and signature of person or persons administering and/or authorizing the administration of the treatment or medication. (2) For the purposes of this rule: (a) “treatment” includes: (i) shock wave therapy; (ii) acupuncture (including laser treatment); (iii) chiropractic treatment; (iv) the use of any electrical stimulation device (including transcuta- neous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)); (v) magnetic field therapy; (vi) ultrasound; (vii) any form of oxygen therapy, including hyperbaric oxygen thera- py; and (b) “medication” includes: (i) all Controlled Drugs (Schedule 8) administered by a veterinarian; (ii) all Prescription Animal Remedies (Schedule 4), including those listed in AR.178C(2); (iii) all Prescription Only Medicines (Schedule 4), prescribed and/or dispensed by a veterinarian for off-label use; (iv)all injectable veterinary medicines (intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intra-articular) not already included above; (v) all Pharmacist Only (Schedule 3) and Pharmacy Only (Schedule 2) medicines; (vi)all veterinary and other medicines containing other scheduled and unscheduled prohibited substances; (vii)all alkalinising agents; (viii) all herbal preparations. (3) All records required to be kept in accordance with this AR.178F must be retained by the trainer for not less than two years. (4)When requested, a trainer must make available to the Stewards the record of any administration of a treatment and/or medication required by sub-rule (1). (5) A trainer who fails to comply with any provision of AR.178F commits a breach of this Rule and may be penalised.” These records must be retained for at least 2 years and be produced if requested by the Stewards, for example, during a stable inspection or at an official Stewards' inquiry. Provided the required details as specified in AR.178F are entered for each treatment, there is currently no prescribed format for the recording of treatment, although there is a useful template found at the Racing NSW website under “Rules, policies and WHS”, then go to “Racing NSW Policies”, then highlight “Other” where you will find “Horse Treatment Record Forms - for Trainers”. It is acknowledged that methods of record keeping for treatments, invoicing and other purposes vary from stable to stable, depending on the size and complexity of the operation. Suggested methods include the use of an A4 day-to-a-page diary where the required treatment details are entered daily for each horse on the corresponding page. Columns on each page would include racing name of horse, treatment administered, route of administration (oral, IV, etc), amount given, name and signature of person administering treatment, and name of person authorising treatment. Alternatively, an A4 or similar-sized page-numbered account book might be used to enter the required treatment details on a page (or pages) for each horse in consecutive order as treatments are administered, ensuring the same details under the headings specified above are recorded, but also including the date of administration. Electronic records using appropriate computer software are also accept- able, provided the required details as specified in AR.178F are entered, especially including the name of the person administering and/or author- ising the treatment. While these requirements might seem onerous, it is anticipated that com- 127 www.racingnsw.com.au PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES