The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC) has approved minimum withdrawal time recommendations for corticosteroids based on recently completed work at the University of Pennsylvania; University of California, Davis, Kenneth L. Maddy Laboratory; HFL Laboratory Kentucky; and other corticosteroid research centers both in the United States and abroad.

The work was partially funded by RMTC, which approved the recommendations earlier this month and forwarded them to the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) for review.

Recommendations were developed during an RMTC-hosted Corticosteroid Experts Conference in Anaheim, Cal. Nov. 30. The meeting brought together qualified individuals with professional expertise in key areas with the goal of providing a comprehensive plan for regulating corticosteroid use in horse racing to protect equine health and welfare.

Participants included analytical chemists, veterinary pharmacologists, veterinary surgeons, racing regulatory veterinarians, and practicing racetrack veterinarians