GUIDELINES FOR MEDICATION CONTROL

COMPLETING THE VETERINARY TREATMENT REGISTER

The following guidelines are provided to reduce the occurrence of inadvertent positives arising from the presence of prohibited substances within Out of Competition blood and urine specimens.

The trainer, assistant trainer or stable employee is responsible for accurately and legibly recording ALL preparations containing a prohibited substance (medication) and/or any veterinary treatment administered to any horse under their care in an approved Veterinary Treatment Register (VTR). The VTR must be kept up to date at all times.

As per Rule 10.5.14, the trainer may be guilty of an offence should the VTR entries be illegible, incomplete, or inaccurate.

Preparations (medications) which should be recorded:
All controlled substances (Schedule 7 & 8) administered by a veterinarian; all prescription only medicines (Schedule 3 to 6) prescribed and/or dispensed by a veterinarian including those used “extra-label”; all over the counter (OTC) medicines (Schedule 1 & 2) including topical ointments; all injectable veterinary medicines (all stock remedies including DMSO, vitamins and antibiotics) not already referred to above; all veterinary and other medicines containing other scheduled and unscheduled prohibited substances (all compounded medications including ammonium chloride); all alkalinising agents (bicarbonate of soda), commercial supplements, injectable salts, herbal or homeopathic preparations and all vaccinations registered for use in horses.

Veterinary treatments which should be recorded:
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT); acupuncture (including laser treatment);
chiropractic treatment; the use of any electrical stimulation device (including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)); magnetic field therapy; ultrasound; any form of oxygen therapy, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy and the taking of a blood sample.

The following details should be recorded:
  • date of administration
  • name of the prescribing veterinarian (if applicable)
  • name of the horse
  • name of the preparation (medication) or treatment administered
  • amount (dose) of medication given (if applicable)
  • route of administration (oral, topical, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous or intraarticular)
  • duration of treatment (if a bottle or course of medication is prescribed and dispensed)
  • reason for administration (diagnosis e.g. lameness)
  • name and signature of the person/s administering the medication or treatment
All VTR entries should be made on the same day of administration or treatment. Therefore, the trainer MUST record the daily administration of medications which have been previously prescribed and dispensed by a veterinarian for several days to a month (such as Acepromazine or Furosemide).

When a horse is admitted to a veterinary hospital where the attending veterinarian does not have a VTR, the hospital discharge form and the account should be kept by the trainer in their VTR, as an approved treatment record.

Should a veterinarian use their “own VTR” to record treatments and/or veterinary procedures performed on a horse, it is the trainer’s responsibility to keep the yellow slip for their records and hand it over to the NHA when requested to do so. This is of particular importance during Out of Competition Specimen Collection where all treatment records relating to the horses selected will be requested by the licensed officials present.

The VTR should always be made available for inspection by any licensed official and once full, it should be returned to the NHA at which time, a new VTR will be issued. A VTR can be collected by the NHA at any time, and then a new one issued. The trainer shall be guilty of an offence in terms of the Rules if they fail to keep a completed VTR up to date (same day updated), in the manner prescribed or to make it available for inspection when requested to do so.
 

LABELLING AND KEEPING OF MEDICATIONS

As per legislation and the Rules of the NHA, all Schedule 3 medication and higher as well as all compounded medication, MUST be prescribed by a veterinarian and appropriately labelled. This includes personal medications kept at stable yards which have been prescribed by a medical health practitioner and dispensed by a pharmacist.
Notwithstanding the manufacturers’ label, a further label should be applied indicating the following:
  • name or the name of each active ingredient of the medicine
  • name of the owner/trainer to whom such medicine is supplied to (sold to)
  • name of the horse to which such medicine is to be administered
  • directions for the use of such medicine (dose, route, and frequency of administration)
  • name and business address of the dispensing veterinarian or pharmacist
  • date of dispensing
  • Veterinary Treatment Register (VTR) page number
Note: It is illegal for any person to use expired medicines for treatment under any conditions (even for welfare cases). All expired medication should be immediately removed from the stable yard and returned to the dispensing veterinarian or pharmacy where it was obtained for safe disposal.

SCHEDULED MEDICATIONS (ACT 101 OF 1965)

Unscheduled medicine (Schedule 0)
Medications which can be purchased in a general shop such as supermarkets. These include aspirin (and other preparations containing salicylic acid or its esters) and paracetamol, anthelmintics, antiseptics, caffeine-containing syrups, laxatives, and some vitamins. Cannabis derived products, oils and isolates which may be obtained in health shops.

Bioplus, Vicks Vaporub, TransAct, Compral, Disprin, Rehidrat Oral Electrolytes, Panado Arnica Ice Cooling Gel, Deep Heat, Dermavet.

Over the counter medicine (OTC) (Schedule 1 & 2)
Medications which can be obtained at a pharmacy but without a prescription. Advice or counselling by a pharmacist may be required. Pharmacists may supply any medicine up to Schedule 2 directly to clients for use in animals without a veterinary prescription. These include medications for minor self-limiting diseases or symptoms.

Voltaren Emulgel (containing diclofenac), Gen-payne, Asthavent, Venteze, Nurofen (containing ibuprofen), Fastum Gel, Allergex, Robaxin (containing methocarbamol)

Prescription only medicine (Schedule 3 to 6)
Medications which can only be obtained from a pharmacy with a prescription from a medical health practitioner or veterinarian and/or dispensed by a veterinary surgeon. These must be appropriately labeled as required above.

Acepromazine,Kortico, Rimadyl, Ventipulmin,Buscopan, Finadyne, Salix, Gentamycin, Ketofen, Lignocaine, Metacam, Prednisolone, injectable Traumeel, Omepracote, Previcox and Tildren (containing tiludronic acid)

STOCK REMEDIES (ACT 36 OF 1947)

Stock remedies are not classed by schedule, nor do they require a prescription. They are considered over the counter medications and are freely available to purchase at agricultural co-ops. These medications are recognizable by their G registration number and should be used according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. As with other medications, they may also be prescribed and dispensed by a veterinarian for “extra-label” use however, in such circumstances, need to conform to the labeling requirements of prescription only medications.

Antibiotic and Antiparasitic Remedies
Hi-Tet 120, Terramycin 100, Sulphatrim, Cyclo Spray, Panthox, Equiline Fly Spray,Tabard Equine Fly Repellent, Quadrepel, Swavet Tickgrease, Equimax NF, Panacur, Pegamax, Pegasol, Pegaforte and Pegaquest.

Ointments, Vitamins, and Supplements
Acrisulph, Uptite Poultice, Icetight, Iceman Cooling Gel, Proudflesh Powder, Equiline Liniment Liquid, Kyrovite Vitamin B12 (containing cobalt), Kyro B Plus Liver, Kyrovite B1, Kyrovital-15, Red Cell, Protexin Premium, Equibalance, GCS-MAX Joint Care.

COMPOUNDED MEDICATIONS

Veterinarians may use compounded medications when a particular medicine is unavailable or is in an undesirable dosage form. These medications are considered prescription only medications and are patient specific. The supply is limited to 30 days’ worth of use and has legal shelf life (expiry) of strictly 30 days. Therefore, all compounded medication not used within 30 days of prescription, must be appropriately disposed of, and should not be relabeled.

Commonly compounded medication for use in equine veterinary practice is injectable ammonium chloride and various oral pastes containing as acepromazine, flunixin meglumine, omeprazole and pergolide.

Amended 14/11/2023