WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Term |
Definition |
| 95/95 Tolerance Interval | A statistical calculation often used by the RMTC to develop recommendations for regulatory thresholds or withdrawal guidance. 2016-02 Explaining the 95_95 Tolerance Interval |
| Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) | The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) engages in collective policy formation to promote uniformity in the regulation of horse racing in North America through the adoption of Model Rules that are recognized by ARCI members, representatives of individual racing regulatory agencies, as industry standards. ARCI members advocate for the adoption of these Model Rules at the State level. |
| Detection Time | The interval after a medication is administered during which it is detectable in a specific matrix (serum, plasma, urine, or hair) from any member(s) of a group of test horses. Detection times are determined from analysis of samples collected at specific time points following an administration of a medication to group of, potentially as few as 4, test horses. For example, if a substance is detected in 3 of 6 samples at 24 hours post-administration, 1 of 6 at 48 hours, and 0 of 6 at 72 hours, the Detection Time is 72 hours. Detection times represent the foundation for a veterinarian establish a recommendation for a withdrawal interval that must also consider an owner’s or trainer’s risk aversion, the health of the individual horse to be treated, knowledge of the substance administered and the potential for variability that could be expected to normally occur in a larger population. The withdrawal interval used for a medication should always be longer than its detection time. |
| European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) | The EHSLC is an independent organization comprised of European racing regulatory veterinarians, analysts and laboratory directors, and veterinary pharmacologists . Its roles are comparable to those of the RMTC in conducting research making recommendations to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) strategies for controlling the use of medications and deterring the use of banned substances. |
| Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) | An analytical method that separates substances by weight. With this method the sample is converted to a vapor that is propelled by an inert gas through a column of tubing where substances are separated by their specific mass (weight). GC/MS is particularly useful in identifying smaller molecules such as steroids and hormones. |
| Half-life | The amount of time required for the concentration of a substance (in the blood or urine) to decrease by 50%. |
| Limit of Detection | The lowest amount of a substance that can be positively identified. LOD will be lower than LOQ. |
| Liquid Chromatograpy/Mass Spectrometry(LC/MS) | An analytical method that separates substances by weight. With this method the sample is prepared in a liquid solution and introduced into a column of tubing where substances precipitate out of the solution at specific times based on their specific mass (weight). |
| Lower Limit of Quantitation | The lowest concentration at which a substance can measured while meeting requirements for precision (an assessment of how close the values are to each other for repeated analysis of the same positive control) and accuracy (how close the values are to the actual concentration of the positive control.) |
| Pharmacodynamics | The study of the effect(s) of substance on the body. When considering how to regulate a medication in the race horse, policy makers must consider not only the intended effect of the medication as administered per label instructions, but also potential side effects, or effects that could result from alternative doses or routes of administration. |
| Pharmacokinetics | The study of how a substance is absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. Pharmacokinetics are key to understanding how a substance can be regulated. For example: a substance enters the body as A, but is eliminated in the urine after being metabolized to B. The analaysis of urine to detect the presence of A, will be of no use. Those charged with developing testing programs must be able to know in what form the substance will be present in blood and urine, at what concentrations and what testing sensitivity is required to support regulations. |
| Plasma | The liquid portion of unclotted blood that does not contain cells or platelets. Plasma does contain clotting factors, or the proteins fibrinogen and albumin. |
| Restricted Administration Time | A specified interval during which the treated horse cannot race, enter to race, or participate other regulated exercise as specified in the rule or regulation. Restricted administration time enforcement can include surveillance, review of treatment reports or medical records, and out-of-competition testing, in addition to standard post-race testing. Evidence that a substance was administered during the restricted administration period establishes that a rule violation occurred. Restricted administration times may be associated with threshold concentrations in blood or urine and in those instances may have corresponding dosing specifications. |
| Screening Limit (definition from Laboratory Code of Standards) | A point below which a sample is declared negative and above which a sample is declared “suspect” or “presumptive positive”. Individual screening limits may vary based on analytical methodology and are intended to minimize false “suspects” or “presumptive positives” while still ensuring analytically valid drug detection and confirmation. Because screening limits are not related to thresholds, confirmation testing is completed qualitatively. Essentially a screening limit is a trigger to proceed with further analysis of a sample; it is not a threshold. If the subsequent analysis results in an unequivocal identification of a foreign substance, the sample is reported as ‘failed’. |
| Serum | The liquid portion of the blood that is present after a clot has formed. Serum is also devoid of cells and platelets but differs from plasma in that does not contain clotting factors |
| Stand Down Period | A specified interval following a treatment during which the treated horse cannot race, enter to race, or participate other regulated exercise as defined by rule or regulation. Stand down periods and restricted administration times accomplish essentially the same thing—a mandatory interval between a regulated treatment and a regulated event. Typically stand down periods refer to a period after treatment when the horse is prohibited from engaging in specified activities for a prescribed interval—e.g. the horse cannot train/enter/race for x days following treatment. Restricted administration times refer to an interval prior to a race—e.g. a specific treatment may not be administered within x days prior to a race. Example: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Treatment (ECSWT) is regulated by a stand down period. Horses are prohibited from racing in the 10 days after receiving ECSW therapy. |
| Withdrawal Guidance | Information provided by regulators to assist licensees in complying with medication regulations. Withdrawal guidance is a recommendation for a minimum interval between treatment and racing specific to the administration of a single medication, at a specified dose, route of administration (e.g. oral, intravenous, intra-articular, topical), and treatment schedule. It is developed by adding a margin of safety to the results of a statistical analysis performed on data from an administration study. A longer withdrawal interval may be warranted in consideration of an individual horse’s health or other factors (e.g. co-administration of other medications). The administration of a substance contrary to the withdrawal guidance does not, in and of itself, constitute a violation but may represent increased risk for a violation. |
| Threshold | A concentration value for a specified substance that is established by regulatory authorities for the purpose of controlling the substance in racing, training, or at other times. The laboratory will identify a sample as ‘failed’ when a substance is detected and quantified at a concentration in excess of the stated threshold concentration plus the laboratory’s expanded Measurement Uncertainty. |
| Uncertainty Measurement (definition from Laboratory Code of Standards) | The Measurement Uncertainty (MU) is a parameter associated with the result of a measurement that characterizes the dispersion (distribution) of the values that could reasonably be attributed to the concentration of the analyte. The MU is different from the error (i.e., bias) associated with the measurement since the error or bias is the difference between the measured value and the true value whereas the measurement uncertainty is a range of values that could reasonably be attributed to the measured concentration. |
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
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95/95 Tolerance IntervalAssociation of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI)Detection TimeEuropean Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC)Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)Half-lifeLimit of DetectionLiquid Chromatograpy/Mass Spectrometry(LC/MS)Lower Limit of QuantitationPharmacodynamicsPharmacokineticsPlasmaRestricted Administration TimeScreening Limit (definition from Lab CoS)SerumStand Down PeriodWithdrawal GuidanceThresholdUncertainty Measurement (definition from Lab CoS)
