ESC Medication Reports

PALMETTO, FLA – Medication Reports are regulatory documents required when horses are treated with controlled medications to help ensure proper dosing and that withdrawal periods are observed. When there is an adverse result from a drug test and a Medication Report has been filed, it establishes the diagnosis, medication, time, and date administered, as well as the route and strength. A Medication Report filed by a licensed veterinarian provides further evidence of professional veterinary diagnosis and administration. You are never wrong to file a Med Report, and it is good practice to do so.

MED REPORTS REQUIRED – When an ESC horse show elects for random drug testing to be performed, Medication Reports are required to be submitted whenever:

1. Multiple medications are administered.
2. Withdrawal time is being calculated by the vet using the half-life factor.
3. For Class B or C Strictly Controlled Medications. (Reference the Controlled Medication Database for Classification.)
4. Anytime medications are administered outside of ESC guidelines.

MED REPORTS ARE NOT REQUIRED –

1. For any SINGLE Class A Therapeutic Medication with < 24hr withdrawal.
2. When a medication is administered well beyond the recommended withdrawal time.

For example, you may use Equioxx at full strength with no withdrawal time and no Medication Report. If you combine Equioxx with acetaminophen (Tylenol), no withdrawal time is required, but you must submit a Medication Report because you are giving more than one medication. Reports are not needed for EMP – Electro Magnetic Pulse, Shockwave therapy, or ERT – Equine Regenerative Therapies.

Medication Report | ESC Controlled Medications

Clinical Efficacy Approach – ESC’s approach to medication use and reporting is based on clinical efficacy and performance-enhancing values. For 99% of all medications, if it is no longer detectable in the blood, there is no potency remaining. A Medication Report is generally needed when there is potential for remaining efficacy of a performance-enhancing substance. Once medications clear the blood, they may be detectable in the urine for days or months, or in the hair for up to a year, while having no effective value to the horse.

Calculating Efficacy & Withdrawal – Licensed veterinarians may calculate withdrawal times taking into account the overall health and age of the horse, the classification of medication, dosage and route of administration. ESC recommends using the plasma half life formula of (t 1/2 x 5) which is the plasma half life x 5 more half lives. The resulting number is the withdrawal time needed to eliminate 94% of efficacy. Additional time may be needed to accommodate additional medications, hydration, rest and overall health of the horse. A veterinarian calculated withdrawal may be used over an ESC published withdrawal with a vet submitted Medication Report.

Avoiding Severe Contraindications – Severe contraindications generally occur when two or more medications from the same drug type or category are combined, thereby increasing the potency and side effects of each medication. When two or more NSAIDs, corticosteroids, sedatives, antihistamines or decongestants are paired, performance-enhancing effects can emerge and/or severe stress and damage to the horse’s organs can occur. It is strictly prohibited for any substance to be combined to enhance potency or mask detection of another medication.

State Required Med Reports – In the states of California and Florida, veterinarians are deployed by the state for drug testing at horse shows, and a Medication Report is required for any substance that is not naturally occurring within the horse’s system. Every state considers even basic NSAIDs a controlled medication that must be diagnosed, prescribed, and have its administration controlled by a licensed state veterinarian. “Prescribed” means the individual name, date, dosing, and expiration of the medication must be documented and available. Furthermore, within state veterinary practice laws, there is a requirement for an established Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR), which is established at the farm level and for the individual horse depending on the medications prescribed.

If you cannot locate a medication within the ESC Controlled Medication database, contact us for assistance. You should never give a medication without verifying its performance-enhancing effects. If you are unsure about whether a Medication Report is required, you are never wrong to submit one. ESC staff and the testing lab are available for guidance during horse shows undergoing drug testing.