Medication | Horse Racing Free Tips

RMTC Completes Analysis Of HISA Withdrawal Guidance

The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium's Scientific Advisory Committee has now completed its analysis of HISA's proposed ADMC screening limits and detection times and has developed a withdrawal guidance limited to RMTC's schedule of Controlled Therapeutic Substances. This withdrawal guidance is based on existing research and administration data. The complete withdrawal guidance, which is subject to change, can be found here.

The intention is for the RMTC to provide the industry with scientifically derived information to aid attending veterinarians and horsemen in making medication decisions and to avoid preventable errors, promote compliance with HISA's regulations, and provide all available information in advance of HISA's expected ADMC implementation date of March 27.

The post RMTC Completes Analysis Of HISA Withdrawal Guidance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

HISA Issues Notice On Use Of Bisphosphonates

Edited Press Release

In advance of the anticipated effective date of HISA's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program March 27, the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) calls the Thoroughbred industry's attention to regulations regarding the presence and use of bisphosphonates in covered horses.

Bisphosphonates are a class of medication prescribed for managing clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in horses 4-years-old or above. They also have a history of extra-label use in younger horses. Bisphosphonates may be detected in samples from treated horses for months to years after administration.

The ADMC Program regulations categorize bisphosphonates as a Banned Substance, meaning that they are prohibited from being administered to, or present in, covered horses at any time. Covered horses that test positive for bisphosphonates under the ADMC Program are subject to lifetime ineligibility, and associated covered persons may incur an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

Given the prolonged detection period for bisphosphonates and the fact that their use is permitted in other racing jurisdictions internationally:

HIWU will not pursue disciplinary action against covered horses or their associated covered person(s) for the presence of bisphosphonates if the covered person(s) can provide documentation (e.g., medical records or a positive test result) to HIWU of the administration or presence of bisphosphonates prior to the implementation date of the ADMC Program. In accordance with HISA's requirements for covered horses, all medical records, including any relevant test results, must be uploaded to the HISA portal. Additionally, due to the variability of bisphosphonate detection through laboratory analysis, all bisphosphonate findings detected under the ADMC Program will undergo thorough review regardless of the alleged timing of administration.

If owners or horsemen have concerns that their horses may have been administered bisphosphonates prior to March 27, including prior to a sale at public auction domestically or internationally, HISA and HIWU advise them to consider bisphosphonate screenings for these horses before the ADMC Program takes effect.

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act does not enable HISA's ADMC Program to be enforced retroactively for actions occurring prior to its implementation. The detection of administrations from prior to March 27 that violate respective state rules in effect during that time period will be referred to the relevant state regulatory authorities.

While bisphosphonates continue to be permitted in Thoroughbred racehorses in international jurisdictions, any covered horse proven to have been administered bisphosphonates after the March 27 implementation date will be subject to lifetime ineligibility, and associated covered persons may incur an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

For questions about the use of bisphosphonates and other substances on the ADMC Prohibited List, stakeholders are encouraged to visit here and reach out to HIWU Chief of Science Dr. Mary Scollay at mscollay@hiwu.org.

The post HISA Issues Notice On Use Of Bisphosphonates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Statement On HISA’s Anti-Doping Rules From ARCI

The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) has formally asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to set aside and temporarily not approve proposed anti-doping and medication control rules proposed by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) until the constitutionality of the HISA Act is determined by the Courts.

“This has nothing to do with wanting uniform rules or having a central rule-making authority, two things the ARCI supports,” said Ed Martin, ARCI President. “This all has to do with avoiding a situation where an enforcement action is overturned because the authority of the enforcing entity to act is in question. The potential exposure to the entire sport is avoided by leaving the existing state rules and enforcement in place until this gets sorted out.”

The ARCI Board voted unanimously to make a similar request in early December and the FTC shortly thereafter rejected the proposed HISA rules without prejudice citing reasons of the underlying legal uncertainty. With the Fifth Circuit Court's rejection earlier this week of HISA's petition based on changes made recently to the Act, the potential for regulatory chaos remains.

The filing made today reads as follows:

“ARCI requests that the FTC yet again reject the Rules or, at the very least, withhold decision until all legal challenges to the Act are finally adjudicated. As you might know, in addition to the federal court case that led to the Fifth Circuit's ruling, other litigations raising material questions about the legitimacy and constitutionality of the Act remain pending. Moreover, after HISA resubmitted the proposed Rules, the Fifth Circuit denied HISA and the FTC's petition to vacate the court's earlier ruling and for a rehearing, meaning two important things: (1) by mandate of the Fifth Circuit, the preliminary injunction prohibiting HISA enforcement in states within the Fifth Circuit will return to full effect and no longer be stayed; and (2) the Fifth Circuit's decision that the Act is unconstitutional will stand for the time being.

Once again, the FTC is in a unique position to restore some level of regulatory certainty to the horse-racing industry. It should do so by quickly and publicly announcing what it already determined a few weeks ago–that it will not approve HISA's proposed rules at this time. A decision to the contrary would come at too great a cost, as it would lead to regulatory uncertainty, exacerbate existing confusion throughout the horse-racing industry, and seriously compromise public interests.”

Should the FTC approve the HISA rules and penalties were imposed for a violation of those rules, the action could be appealed and potentially overturned and wiped away due to the finding in the Fifth Circuit that HISA is unconstitutional.

Likewise if a racing commission enforces the existing State anti-doping rule and penalties imposed for a violation are appealed using the argument that the federal rule preempts state action the possibility that it can be overturned also exists.

The only way to avoid this Catch-22 is to leave state rules and enforcement in place by delaying final action on the HISA ADMC rules.

The ARCI has not taken a position on the pending litigation, although some member states have and are litigating the constitutionality of the Act. In August, Martin called for HISA to sit down with all litigants and negotiate a way out. That did not happen.

The post Statement On HISA’s Anti-Doping Rules From ARCI appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

ARCI Asks FTC to Delay HISA’s Proposed Medication Rules

The Board of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) has unanimously requested the Federal Trade Commission to delay final action on HISA's proposed Anti-Doping and Medication Control rules until the constitutional questions being litigated are resolved, they announced in a press release Wednesday.

“We cannot have a situation where an enforcement action is overturned because the authority of the enforcing entity to act is in question,” said Ed Martin, ARCI President. “The only way to avoid that is to delay approval of HISA rules leaving existing state rules and enforcement in place for the time being. The choice for the FTC is clear, state rules are better than no rules during this time of legal uncertainty. To approve them now with this legal uncertainty is an invitation to cheaters that you might get a free ride during the first 10 days in January, if not longer.”

The ARCI release also states: “Should the FTC approve the HISA rules and penalties were imposed for a violation of those rules the action could be appealed and potentially overturned and wiped away due to the finding in the Fifth Circuit that HISA is unconstitutional.

The only way to avoid this Catch-22 is to leave state rules and enforcement in place by delaying final action on the HISA ADMC rules.”

The ARCI has not taken a position on the pending litigation, although some member states have and are litigating the constitutionality of the Act.

The post ARCI Asks FTC to Delay HISA’s Proposed Medication Rules appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post