Pennsylvania adopts multiple medication violation system

The Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission has adopted regulations that will allow the commission to levy additional penalties against licensees who have racked up multiple violations of medication rules over a specified period of time.

The commission adopted the rules on July 27, according to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, an industry funded group that advocates for the adoption of uniform regulations in U.S. racing states. The rules allow the commission to assess points to licensees based on the severity of the medication violations, with additional penalties assessed to the licensees as the points total crosses certain thresholds.

The multiple medication violation system is in place in 11 other states, and it is considered the fourth prong in an ongoing state-by-state effort to put in place new rules regarding the regulation of medications. The RMTC said that 10 states, including Pennsylvania, have now adopted all four elements of the overall policy.