Racing Services

Unregistered and Improperly Supplied Medications

Trainers should be aware that is illegal to have in their possession prescription medicines (whether veterinary or human) that have not been properly prescribed; or unregistered veterinary chemical products.

In addition, LR 194 Holding of Drugs (added Sept 07) states:

A person who holds or controls drugs unlawfully or which are labelled or without supporting prescription is, if those drugs are capable of being administered to a horse, guilty of an offence.

Prescription Medicines

Prescription Medicines include:

• “Prescription animal remedies’ which are Schedule 4 (S4) veterinary medicines that may only be prescribed by a registered veterinarian for the treatment of animals; and
• “Prescription Only Medicines” for humans which can also be prescribed by veterinarians for use in horses.

These Prescription Medicines must be:

• Prescribed by a veterinarian; or
• Obtained from a pharmacy using a prescription supplied by a veterinarian.

In addition to the registered label these Prescription Medicines must be labelled by the veterinarian or pharmacist with, as a minimum, the information contained in Appendix A.

Veterinary Chemical Products (VCPs)

VCPs include:

• “Prescription animal remedies” (see above), and also
• Products that can be ‘open-sellers’ i.e. obtained from veterinarians or other sources.

VCPs are substances that are supplied or used for administration to an animal, by any means, as a way of:

• Preventing, diagnosing, curing or alleviating a disease or condition in the animal or an infestation of the animal by a pest;
• Curing or alleviating an injury suffered by the animal;
• Modifying the physiology of the animal so as to alter its natural development, productivity, quality or reproductive capacity; or to make it more manageable; or
• Modifying the effect of another veterinary chemical product.

VCPs that fulfil any of the above criteria should be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). Accordingly, they must be sold with an APVMA registered label affixed to the product container and its packaging. Such labels always show an APVMA approval number in the following form: 50675/10/0705 (as an example).

Guidelines for drug use

Disposal of drugs

Trainers are urged to examine their stable medications and correctly dispose of Prescription Medicines not properly prescribed, unregistered medicines and medicines beyond their expiry date.  

Labelling

The veterinarian’s or pharmacist’s label must be attached to the actual immediate container in which the medication is supplied i.e. the bottle rather than the cardboard box surrounding the bottle. If multiple bottles are supplied then each must be appropriately labelled.

Examples of Prescription Medicines

These are usually medicines labelled S4 and include antibiotics, most anti-inflammatory agents, corticosteroids (oral or injectable); bronchodilators; injectable local anaesthetics; topical skin preparations containing antibiotics and/or corticosteroids; tranquilisers and anabolic steroids.

Storage

Drugs are complex, sensitive chemicals which deteriorate under certain conditions, for example, when exposed to excessive heat or light. They should be kept under recommended conditions i.e. refrigerated; kept in a cool dark place; etc

Expiry dates

Even when stored under optimal conditions drugs deteriorate. They should be disposed of when they exceed their expiry date.

Legalities

Drugs are potent and their use can have legal implications. On occasion, adverse reactions, including death of the animal can result.

Professional advice

Trainers are urged to seek professional advice when using drugs to reduce the possibility that ill-judged administrations will cause of breach of the rules.

Herbal remedies

Trainers are reminded that herbal remedies and medicines, including those obtained over-the-counter at a pharmacy, may contain Prohibited Substances. Trainers are strongly advised to avoid their use because the constituents of many of these preparations are unlisted or unknown. Specific examples of preparations that should be avoided include guarana, kava and valerian.

Appendix A

• The words ‘Keep Out of Reach of Children’;
• The name and strength or amount of each poison in the preparation, or the trade-name and strength of the preparation (unless the trade-name also uniquely identifies the strength, in which case only the trade name need be given );
• The owner’s surname, name and species of animal;
• Instructions for the use of that medicine or preparation;
• A date of dispensing, and a number identifying the prescription or supply which corresponds to – ii) the patient’s records, in the case of a veterinary surgeon;
• The name and address of the veterinary practice from which it is supplied;
• The words “For veterinary use only” or “For animal use only”, together with the words “For external use only” if the medicine or preparation is not prepared for internal use; and
• The total quantity contained.