By: Edited Press Release
Following two years of dedicated work to achieve the standards put forth by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TMVDL) Drug Testing Laboratory has received full accreditation.
The TVMDL Drug Testing Lab is the seventh to receive full accreditation by the RMTC.
Travis Mays, analytical chemistry section head and head of the Drug Testing Laboratory, explained that to achieve RMTC accreditation, the lab must first have ISO 17025 accreditation. The lab (http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34764/tvmdl-drug-testing-lab-receives-certification) received ISO 17025 accreditation from the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) Competition Animal Drug Testing Laboratory Accreditation Program in 2014.
“Both ISO 17025 and RMTC accreditation require site inspections by an external auditor,” Mays said. “Additionally, before being awarded RMTC accreditation a lab must successfully pass two rounds of an external proficiency-testing program. This includes correctly identifying unknown urine and plasma samples, one of which requires quantification.”
The Drug Testing Laboratory analyzes samples from equine and canine owners and veterinarians, as well as samples from fairs and livestock shows looking to ensure fair competition through a drug testing program. The laboratory annually performs more than 3,500 tests for livestock and 3,500 tests for racehorses. Since 1989, when the Texas Racing Act gave TVMDL the responsibility for providing drug testing services to the pari-mutuel horse and greyhound racing industries, the Drug Testing Laboratory has provided screening for illegal and regulated therapeutic drugs in performance animals. Additionally, the laboratory performs diagnostic testing to help ensure animal and public health.
“We are extremely proud to be included amongst this group and of the efforts we have made,” said Mays. “This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality of testing to our clients, which is imperative in the drug testing industry.”
