Treatment Record
IMPORTANT RULE CHANGE - TREATMENT RECORDS
Participants are advised that as of the 1st January 2014 the provisions of the new rule GAR 84A will make it compulsory for accurate treatment records to be kept for greyhounds in a participant's care.
The rule has been introduced to target the administration of substances that can return a positive swab, with the ultimate aim to reduce positive readings to therapeutic substances and to improve kennel medication practices.
Trainers need to ensure they keep a record of treatments given to their greyhounds as defined by sub-rule (3) and the national guidelines below. GRV has made available online an example treatment record book which is available to print for participants and an excel computer file for those that wish to keep an electronic record. A participant can use another method of record keeping provided it meets the requirements detailed below.
DOWNLOAD ONLINE TREATMENT BOOK (EXCEL FILE): CLICK HERE
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE TREATMENT BOOK (PDF FILE): CLICK HERE
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE TREATMENT BOOK AS OF 01 JANUARY 2015 (PDF FILE): CLICK HERE
DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE TREATMENT RECORD SHEET FOR INDIVIDUAL GREYHOUND (PDF FILE): CLICK HERE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (PDF FILE): CLICK HERE
GRV will embark on an education period for participants until 30 June 2014.However sub-rule 4a shall apply from 1 January 2014 as will the significant changes to the list of Permanently Banned Prohibited Substances listed in GAR 79A; No person should possess, administer or allow to be administered any of these substances and this will be strictly enforced through kennel inspections and out of competition testing.
GAR 84A sub-rule 4b and 4c shall be enforced as per the national guidelines with an emphasis placed on educating participants.
To assist with this education period GRV will be conducting a number of seminars in early 2014 at various racing clubs as well as discussing the requirements during kennel inspections. These information sessions will be held at all of GRV’s 13 racetracks to ensure participants are fully aware of the rule. If any clarification is needed regarding the rule it is crucial that participants attend these seminars or contact the GRV Stewards Department on (03) 8329 1100.
2014 GRV Information Sessions Schedule
Wednesday 12 February 2014 – The Meadows (Day)Sunday 16 February 2014 – Sandown (Day)
Tuesday 18 February 2014 – Horsham (Twilight)
Wednesday 19 February 2014 – Bendigo (Twilight)
Thursday 20 February 2014 – Shepparton (Twilight)
Sunday 23 February 2014 – Healesville (Day)
Wednesday 26 February 2014 – Ballarat (Night)
Monday 3 March 2014 – Geelong (Twilight)
Tuesday 4 March 2014 – Sale (Twilight)
Wednesday 5 March 2014 – Cranbourne (Night)
Thursday 6 March 2014 – Traralgon (Day)
Thursday 13 March 2014 – Warragul (Twilight)
Thursday 20 March 2014 – Warrnambool (Night)
GAR84A reads:
R84A Treatment Records to be kept
- The person in charge of a greyhound must keep and retain records detailing all vaccinations, antiparasitics and medical treatments administered to a greyhound from the time the greyhound enters their care until the greyhound leaves their care and for a minimum of two (2) years. Such record of treatment must be produced for inspection when requested by a Steward or a person authorised by the Controlling Body. Any person responsible for a greyhound at the relevant time who fails to comply with any provision of this rule shall be guilty of an offence.
- Each record of treatment kept in accordance with this rule must, as a minimum requirement, include the following information:
- (a) Name of the greyhound
- (b) Date of administration of the treatment
- (c) Name of the treatment (brand name or active constituent)
- (d) Route of administration
- (e) Amount given
- (f) Name and signature of person or persons administering and/or authorising treatment
- For the purposes of this rule “treatment” includes:
- (a) All Controlled Drugs (Schedule 8) administered by a veterinarian
- (b) All Prescription Animal Remedies and Prescription Only Medicines (Schedule 4)
- (c) All injectable veterinary medicines not already specified in this rule
- (d) All Pharmacist Only (Schedule 3) and Pharmacy Only (Schedule 2) medicines
- (e) All veterinary and other medicines containing other scheduled and unscheduled prohibited substances
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- (a) It shall be an offence for any person to administer or allow to be administered to any greyhound, any permanently Banned Prohibited Substance referred to in Rule 79A.
- (b) It shall be an offence for any person other than a Veterinary Surgeon to possess, prescribe, administer or allow to be administered to any greyhound, any Schedule 4 or Schedule 8 substance listed in the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons contained in the Australian Poisons Standard, as amended from time to time.
- (c) Sub rule (4)(b) shall not apply where a prescription for the substance was issued by a Veterinary Surgeon who prescribed the substance for the greyhound after personally examining that greyhound.
National guidelines for complying with GAR 84A Treatment records to be kept
Form of Treatment Record
Methods of record keeping may vary between trainers depending on the size of the operation so provided the required details as specified in GAR 84A are entered for each treatment, the person in charge of a greyhound (e.g. the trainer) may keep this record in any format they desire. This may include a Controlling Body provided treatment book, digital computer file (e.g. excel) or a diary. Where a trainer’s record keeping is found to be inadequate the Controlling Body may require that trainer to use a prescribed format.
GAR 84A (1) - Definition of a “greyhound”
Stewards will expect treatments to be recorded for any greyhound older than 16 months of age until the greyhound is retired from racing; however trainers are encouraged to keep records of all greyhounds under their care.
Compulsory vaccinations and treatment during a race meeting
Where a treatment is already recorded by the Controlling Body such as the compulsory vaccinations required for naming and any treatment provided by the On-track Veterinarian as part of the race meeting (i.e. first-aid), there is no requirement for the trainer to duplicate this record, however trainers are free to do so.
Treatment courses or ongoing oral medication
Where a treatment is ongoing e.g. oestrus suppression, or where it is for several days e.g. a course of antibiotics, it is acceptable to list the start and finish dates of the treatment rather than record every day a treatment is given.
Name and signature of person or persons administering and/or authorising treatment
In the case of a treatment being administered or prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, there is no requirement for the vet to sign the treatment record. The trainer can simply transcribe the details into their treatment record or use the invoice if this is adequately detailed.
GAR84A (4) (c)
Sub rule (4) (c) may be more restrictive than initially planned and will be approached consistently by Stewards to allow a Veterinary Surgeon to prescribe according to their relevant commonwealth and state legislation and guidelines.
In most instances it will be acceptable for a trainer to administer a Schedule 4 treatment (“Prescription only medicine” or “Prescription animal remedy”) to their greyhound as it was intended when prescribed to that trainers greyhound by the Veterinary Surgeon. This is on the proviso that the relevant legislation and guidelines are met by the Veterinary Surgeon and the greyhound/s are under the care of the Veterinary Surgeon who prescribed that substance after taking all reasonable steps to ensure a therapeutic need existed for that substance.
The following situations would not be considered acceptable:
- Vet prescribes excessive quantity of e.g. antibiotics - Trainer on-sells to another trainer as he gets a discounted rate buying in bulk (trainer is prescribing and vet may be breaching guidelines by prescribing without establishing a therapeutic need)
- Vet prescribes medication e.g. any Schedule 4 - Trainer has no more dogs and so gives to another trainer (trainer is prescribing and should have disposed of medication
- Vet prescribes to trainer e.g. dexamethasone injection - Trainer treats another trainers dog (trainer is prescribing and performing an act of veterinary science)
Record of treatment must be produced for inspection when requested
It is expected that the treatment record will be kept at the kennel address and it is not the intention of Stewards to request this record of treatment at e.g. a race meeting. If the record is requested outside of a kennel inspection, the Controlling Body will allow sufficient time for the person to produce the record.
Other rule changes
Amendment to GAR 84 (2) – Possession of prohibited substance
As from 1st January 2014 the wording of rule GAR 84(2) will be amended to include the mention of compliance with the relevant State or Commonwealth legislation (e.g. Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981) and powers of Stewards to take possession of substances or preparations to test or destroy. Where a prescription medicine is prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, the prescription label should be attached to the immediate container (e.g. bottle) of that substance. Where a label is affixed to an outer container (e.g. a box) that medication should remain with that container at all times to prove that it has been legitimately prescribed by your veterinary surgeon.
New ethanol (alcohol) metabolite threshold
Participants are advised that commencing 1 January 2014 the provisions of new rule GAR 83 (7) will make it an offence to produce a greyhound to race with a prohibited level of ethanol (alcohol), as evidenced by the presence of its metabolites ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulphate at a concentration above 20 micrograms per millilitre in urine, in any sample taken from that greyhound. Ethanol metabolite levels above the threshold are prohibited substances as alcohol is a depressant that could be used to hinder performance of a Greyhound. Trainers are advised to avoid administering any products containing ethanol (alcohol) to a Greyhound, particularly close to racing, as this practice may result in a breach of GAR83 (7) and resultant penalties for the trainer and any other person who administered the substance.