Iowa Admin. Code r. 491-7.14

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 11, December 11, 2024

Rule 491-7.14 - Medication and administration, sample collection, chemists, and practicing veterinarians

(1)Medication and administration.

a. No greyhound, while participating in a race, shall carry in its body any medication, drug, foreign substance, or metabolic derivative thereof.

b. Also prohibited are any drugs or foreign substances that might mask or screen the presence of the prohibited drugs or prevent or delay testing procedures.

c. Proof of detection by the commission chemist of the presence of a medication, drug, foreign substance, or metabolic derivative thereof, prohibited by paragraph 7.14(1)"a" or "b," in a saliva, urine, or blood specimen duly taken under the supervision of the commission veterinarian from a greyhound immediately prior to or promptly after running in a race shall be prima facie evidence that the greyhound was administered, with the intent that it would carry or that it did carry, prohibited medication, drug, or foreign substance in its body while running in a race in violation of this rule.

d. No person other than a licensed veterinarian shall administer, cause to be administered, participate, or attempt to participate in any way in the administration to a greyhound registered for racing any medication, drug, or foreign substance prior to a race on the day of the race for which a greyhound is entered.

e. Any such person found to have administered or caused, participated, or attempted to participate in any way in the administration of, a medication, drug, or foreign substance which caused or could have caused a violation of this rule shall be subject to disciplinary action.

f. The owner, trainer, kennel helper, or any other person having charge, custody, or care of the greyhound is obligated to protect the greyhound and guard it against the administration or attempted administration of any medication, drug, or foreign substance. If the stewards find that any person has failed to show proper protection and guarding of the greyhound, or if the stewards find that any owner, lessee, or trainer is guilty of negligence, they shall impose discipline and take other action they deem proper under any of the rules of the commission.

(2)Sample collection.

a. Under the supervision of the commission veterinarian, urine, blood, and other specimens shall be taken and tested from any greyhounds that the stewards of the meeting, commission veterinarian, or the commission's representatives may designate. The specimens shall be collected by the commission veterinarian or other person(s) the commission may designate.

b. No unauthorized person shall be admitted at any time to the building or the area utilized for the purpose of collecting the required body fluid samples or the area designated for the retention of greyhounds pending the obtaining of body fluid samples.

c. During the taking of specimens from a greyhound, the owner, trainer, or kennel representative designated by the owner or trainer may be present and witness the taking of the specimen and so signify in writing. Failure to be present and witness the collection of the samples constitutes a waiver by the owner, trainer, or kennel representative of any objections to the source and documentation of the sample.

d. A security guard must be in attendance during the hours designated by the commission.

e. The commission veterinarian, the board of stewards, agents of the division of criminal investigation, or the authorized representatives of the commission may take samples of any medicine or other materials suspected of containing improper medication, drugs, or other substance which could affect the racing condition of a greyhound in a race, which may be found in kennels or elsewhere on facility premises or in the possession of any person connected with racing, and the same shall be delivered to the official chemist for analysis.

f. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prevent:

(1) Any greyhound in any race from being subjected by the order of a steward or the commission veterinarian to tests of body fluid samples for the purpose of determining the presence of any foreign substance.

(2) The state steward or the commission veterinarian from authorizing the splitting of any sample.

(3) The commission veterinarian from requiring body fluid samples to be stored in a frozen state for future analysis.

(3) Chemist.

a. Tests are to be under the supervision of the commission, which shall employ one or more chemists or contract with one or more qualified chemical laboratories to determine by chemical testing and analysis of body fluid samples whether a foreign substance, medication, drug, or metabolic derivative thereof is present.

b. All body fluid samples taken by or under direction of the commission veterinarian or authorized representative of the commission shall be delivered to the laboratory of the official chemist for analysis. Each sample shall be marked or numbered and bear information essential to its proper analysis; but the identity of the greyhound from which the specimen was taken or the identity of its owners, trainer, or kennel shall not be revealed to the official chemist or the staff of the chemist. The container of each sample shall be sealed as soon as the sample is placed therein.

c. The commission chemist shall be responsible for safeguarding and testing each sample delivered to the laboratory by the commission veterinarian.

d. The commission chemist shall conduct individual tests on each sample, screening for prohibited substances and conducting other tests to detect and identify any suspected prohibited substance or metabolic derivative thereof with specificity. Pooling of samples shall be permitted only with the knowledge and approval of the administrator.

e. Upon the finding of a test negative for prohibited substances, the remaining portions of the sample may be discarded. Upon the finding of a test suspicious or positive for prohibited substances, the test shall be reconfirmed and the remaining portion of the sample, if available, preserved and protected for one year following close of meet.

f. The commission chemist shall submit to the commission a written report as to each sample tested, indicating by sample tag identification number, whether the sample tested negative or positive for prohibited substances. The commission chemist shall report test findings to no person other than the administrator or commission representative. In addition to the administrator, the commission chemist shall notify the state steward of all positive tests. In the event the commission chemist should find a sample suspicious for a prohibited medication, additional time for test analysis and confirmation may be requested.

g. In reporting to the administrator or state steward a finding of a test positive for a prohibited substance, the commission chemist shall present documentary or demonstrative evidence acceptable in the scientific community and admissible in court in support of the professional opinion as to the positive finding.

h. No action shall be taken by the administrator or state steward on the report of the official chemist unless and until the medication, drug, or other substance and the greyhound from which the sample was taken have been properly identified and until an official report signed by the chemist has been received by the administrator or state steward.

i. The cost of the testing and analysis shall be paid by the commission to the official chemist. The commission shall then be reimbursed by each facility on a per-sample basis so that each facility shall bear only its proportion of the total cost of testing and analysis. The commission may first receive payment from funds provided in Iowa Code chapter 99D, if available.

(4)Practicing veterinarian.

a. Prohibited acts.

(1) A licensed veterinarian practicing at any meeting is prohibited from possessing any ownership, directly or indirectly, in any racing animal racing during the meeting.

(2) Veterinarians licensed by the commission as veterinarians are prohibited from placing any wager of money or other thing of value directly or indirectly on the outcome of any race conducted at the meeting at which the veterinarian is furnishing professional service.

(3) No veterinarian shall within the facility premises furnish, sell, or loan any hypodermic syringe, needle, or other injection device, or any drug, narcotic, or prohibited substance to any other person unless with written permission of the stewards.

b. Whenever a veterinarian has used a hypodermic needle or syringe, the veterinarian shall destroy the needle and syringe and remove it from the facility. The use of other than single-use disposable syringes and infusion tubes on facility premises is prohibited.

c. Every practicing veterinarian licensed by the commission shall keep, on the premises of a facility, a written record of practice relating to greyhounds participating in racing.

(1) This record shall include the name of the greyhound treated, the nature of the greyhound's ailment, the type of treatment prescribed and performed for the greyhound, and the date and time of treatment.

(2) This record shall be kept for practice engaged in at all facilities in the state of Iowa and shall be produced without delay upon the request of the board of stewards or the commission veterinarian.

d. Each veterinarian shall report immediately to the commission veterinarian any illness presenting unusual or unknown symptoms in a racing animal entrusted into the veterinarian's care.

e. Practicing veterinarians may have employees licensed as veterinary assistants working under their direct supervision. Activities of these employees shall not include direct treatment or diagnosis of any animal. The practicing veterinarian must be present if a veterinary assistant is to have access to injection devices or injectables. The practicing veterinarian shall assume all responsibility for a veterinary assistant.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 491-7.14

Amended by IAB March 27, 2019/Volume XLI, Number 20, effective 5/1/2019