RNSW_Oct 21_Col_W

concerns for horses administered formaldehyde by injection. There are no APVMA-registered veterinary products for injection that contain formalde- hyde as their principal active ingredient, although a local compounding pharmacy was identified as having produced an injectable product con- taining 10% formaldehyde for use in horses. There are other unregistered injectable veterinary products such as Bio-Bleeder and Kentucky Green that have been found to contain formaldehyde and other aldehydes. RNSW Stewards notify trainers that injectable products containing formaldehyde are totally banned in racing, whether for in- or out-of-competition use, and their presence in a racing stable would constitute an offence under AR80E. Furthermore, race day and out-of-competition samples will be tested for the presence of formaldehyde. Serious penalties will apply to the finding of such products in a racing stable, or the detection of formaldehyde in a sample taken from a horse on race day. Trainers are warned of the dangers of having on their premises and using on their horses any unregistered products, particularly those for injection. Many of these products are not properly labelled, do not list their active ingredients, and may be contaminated with other prohibited substances, including those listed in AR.177B(2). WARNING ON THE USE OF ARSENIC-BASED PREPARATIONS IN RACEHORSES Trainers and other industry participants are reminded that arsenic is a prohibited substance according to the Australian Rules of Racing, and further, there is a threshold level of 0.30 milligrams per litre in urine to control its use in racehorses. Registered veterinary products that contain arsenic-based compounds include: Arcyl Solution for Injection Ferrocyl injection Troy Invigorate Injection Jurocyl Injection The product Caco is no longer registered with the APVMA and should not be administered to horses but it also contained an arsenic-based com- pound. Trainers are therefore reminded to avoid using these preparations close to racing, and a useful guideline is not to administer them following a single dose within a 5 clear day period before racing. Multiple administra- tions will prolong this period, so extreme caution must be exercised if administering them on consecutive days. The administration of any of these preparations must be recorded as treatment according to the pro- visions of AR.178F. The Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) has the capability to routinely screen for arsenic in equine urine in accordance with AR.178C(1) (b). WARNING TO OWNERS AND TRAINERS REGARDING THE USE OF IBUPROFEN IN RACEHORSES Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug and therefore a prohib- ited substance according to the Australian Rules of Racing. Ibuprofen is available in numerous human preparations for oral and topical use. Ibuprofen is not present in any registered veterinary product for use in horses, and there is only limited information available on the excretion of ibuprofen following its administration to horses. There are therefore risks involved in the administration of ibuprofen to horses, including but not limited to oral and topical routes. Trainers are warned that it is difficult to make any reliable predictions about the clearance of ibuprofen from horses based on the information currently available. This is especially so if multiple doses or exposures to the drug have occurred. There is also a high risk of contamination in racing stables arising from the use of ibuprofen in other horses in a stable. It is generally noted that: (i) Large doses of ibuprofen may result in more prolonged clearance times than smaller doses. (ii) Multiple doses or exposures to ibuprofen may result in more prolonged clearance times than a single dose or exposure. (iii) Different pharmaceutical preparations of ibuprofen may have different bioavailabilities of the drug which may result in different clearance times. (iv) Environmental contamination with ibuprofen may result in horses being contaminated with the drug and cause a positive detection in urine collect- ed from a horse. (v) Topical administration of a gel formulation of ibuprofen may result in a prolonged clearance of the drug, probably because the gel persists on the hair which acts as a slow release reservoir. Racing NSW therefore warns trainers not to administer ibuprofen to race- horses at any time or allow ibuprofen in racing stables. Further, trainers should enquire whether ibuprofen is being used at any spelling/recuperation facility from which they are receiving a horse. Trainers are advised that an elective non-raceday test should be obtained from any horse known to have been treated with ibuprofen prior to racing. Accordingly, trainers should contact the Stewards to arrange such testing. TESTING FOR HYDROCORTISONE Trainers and veterinarians should be aware that race day samples con- taining elevated levels of the prohibited substance hydrocortisone will be reported to the Stewards. Australian Rule of Racing AR178C(1) states: “(1) The following prohibited substances when present at or below the concentrations respectively set out are excepted from the provisions of AR178B and AR178H:- (f) Hydrocortisone at a mass concentration of 1.00 milligrams per litre in urine.” Hydrocortisone is a normal constituent of equine urine, being produced by the horse's adrenal glands. However, hydrocortisone is also present in certain restricted (Schedule 4) pharmaceutical products, including human pharmaceuticals for injection, and a range of veterinary anti-inflammatory topical ointments and ophthalmic preparations. Elevated levels of hydro- cortisone can also be induced by the administration to horses of ACTH or its analogues. Therefore, the administration of hydrocortisone or ACTH or its analogues can give rise to elevated levels of hydrocortisone in urine samples from horses and which may exceed the excepted level in AR178C(1)(f). Accordingly, trainers and veterinarians should avoid the administration of hydrocortisone and ACTH or its analogues to horses that are to race. HERBAL REMEDIES Herbal remedies and medicines, including those obtained over-the-coun- ter at a pharmacy, may contain prohibited substances. These products whose ingredients are often unlisted and/or unknown are sometimes marketed as “prohibited substance free”. Yet analyses of many of these products often gives rise to the detection of the presence of prohibited substances. This has resulted in trainers being penalised since the administration of certain herbal preparations has been found to be the cause of positive swabs. The active substances contained within herbal ingredients fulfil the crite- ria for a “prohibited substance” under the Rules of Racing if they are substances that are capable at any time of acting on one or more of the specified mammalian body systems. Thus a herbal product claiming to be a treatment in its labelling or advertising, and/or that contains substances in amounts that may be restoring, correcting or modifying physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action is likely, under the Rules of Racing, as being considered as a treat- ment containing prohibited substances, and its administration as well as its detection may lead to disciplinary sanctions. Consequently the strongest warning is issued to all trainers to avoid pur- chasing or retaining herbal medicines in their stable as it is patently unsafe to presume that over the counter, pharmacy herbal preparations and those products obtainable from herbalists and over the internet are prohibited substance free. Examples of preparations that are known to contain prohibited substances and which should not be administered to racehorses include those containing guarana, green tea, kava and valeri- an. TESTING FOR SALICYLIC ACID Trainers should be aware that race day samples containing elevated lev- els of the prohibited substance salicylic acid will be reported to the Stewards. Salicylic acid is a normal constituent of equine urine, arising from the ingestion of green feed. However, salicylic acid is also the metabolite of a number of salicylates, including the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs sodium salicylate (Salsprin), and methylsalicylate (contained in a number of liniment preparations). The administration or application of aspirin, sodium salicylate and methylsalicylate can give rise to elevated levels of salicylic acid. Trainers and veterinarians should avoid the administration and/or applica- tion of preparations containing salicylates close to race time. PROCAINE PENICILLIN Trainers should be aware of the prolonged excretion time of the prohib- ited substance procaine following the administration of procaine peni- cillin to horses. TESTING FOR BRONCHODILATORS Trainers and veterinarians are reminded that prescription bronchodilators such as IPRATROPIUM (Atrovent®), SALBUTAMOL (Ventolin®), and TERBUTALINE (Bricanyl®), are "prohibited substances" and as such are screened for in race day samples. Their detection in a race day sample would constitute an offence under the Australian Rules of Racing, and furthermore, their administration to a horse pre-race on the day of a race would also be an offence under AR.178E. Most of the preparations containing these substances are restricted pre- scription (Schedule 4) human pharmaceuticals which can only be sup- plied to a trainer following a consultation with a veterinary practitioner 129 www.racingnsw.com.au PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES