Drug withdrawal times posted on website

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A racing industry-funded drug research group has posted the recommended withdrawal times for approximately 75 commonly used medications on its website.

The research group, the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, gathered the information for the withdrawal times from existing research and from interviews with racetrack veterinarians, according to the RMTC's executive director, Dr. Scot Waterman. The withdrawal times - which are the recommended number of days out from a race in which a horsemen can administer a specific dose of medication without the drug being called a positive on raceday - are only approximations, and should not be considered "gospel," Waterman said.

The RMTC announced late last year that the group would post the withdrawal times on its website, and the group is currently funding some research projects to aid in the development of the list, which can be found at www.rmtcnet.com. The current list does not include any data from new research, Waterman said.

"Research generally takes time, and the problem we have is immediate, so we decided to get our hands on as much information as possible and make it accessible," Waterman said.

The list is protected behind an access page that requires users to enter a name, license type, and state in which the license was issued. The list also includes a disclaimer that the information "is not a guarantee, warranty, or assurance that the use of any of the therapeutic medications in the amount listed will not result in a positive post-race test."