By Tom LaMarra
West Virginia has joined other states in the Mid-Atlantic region in posting an advisory regarding use of two therapeutic drugs that can be problematic for horsemen.
The advisory stemmed from a Mid-Atlantic regulatory meeting earlier in July at which the progress of the National Uniform Medication Program was discussed. Participants identified two substances: the corticosteroid methylprednisolone acetate, commonly known as Depo-Medrol, and procaine penicillin.
“There was a question whether they were being administered uniformly (in the region),” said Kelli Talbott, senior deputy attorney general for the West Virginia Racing Commission, which approved the posting of the protocol July 21.
The recommended cut-off time for Depo-Medrol is 21 days before a race, but that includes a warning that intramuscular administrations can result in plasma concentrations that exceed the testing threshold of 100 picograms per milliliter. The advisory also notes the concentration can be higher if compounded Depo-Medrol is used or if the drug is inadvertently deposited in tissue.
The Mid-Atlantic group recommended that Depo-Medrol not be administered to horses whose connections plan to race them in the region, and if they do race, they should get the horse tested—at their expense—to make sure it won’t come back positive for the therapeutic medication.
As for procaine penicillin, the group said only administrations within 30 days of a race should be reported to state racing regulators. Currently, procaine penicillin requires reporting of its use to regulators and mandatory surveillance six hours prior to a race to ensure against a nerve block.
“The Mid-Atlantic has a uniform methodology in applying these particular rules,” Talbott said. “The rules are the rules, and if (someone) gets a positive post-race test they’ll still be punished. This just provides procedural (guidance).”
