Compounded Drug Responsible for the 21 Horse Deaths

A Florida pharmacy announced that an ingredient in a drug which they compounded was responsible for the deaths of the 21 polo horses from a Venezuelan polo team that died Sunday at the U.S. Open Polo Tournament in Wellington, Florida.

Fourteen of the horses died while on the field prior to the scheduled match while another seven horses died while in transit to an equine hospital for treatment.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and various other regulatory agencies are performing necropsies and blood tests on the animals. The agencies expect to announce their findings shortly.

Franck's Pharmacy in Ocala revealed that a lawyer it hired to investigate the case concluded one ingredient was off during the mixing process.

"The strength of an ingredient in the medication was incorrect," said Jennifer Beckett, of Franck's Pharmacy. "We will cooperate fully with the authorities as they continue their investigation." She declined to answer questions but offered condolences to the team: "We share their grief and sadness."

The pharmacy was compounding a drug similar to Biodyl, a drug that is not FDA approved or available in the United States. Biodyl described as a vitamin supplement for livestock is used primarily in animals that are engaged in sporting activities or following transport to assist them in their performance or recovery.

This tragedy again strengthens the case for authentication and verification of both the materials used as ingredients and the end use medications for both human and animal consumption. Similar to the adulterated raw material used to produce the Heparin that killed nearly 250 in the United States last year; this incident demonstrates the vulnerability of the United States pharmaceutical supply chain which includes production, distribution and dispensing. Suspicion is now centering on the raw materials that were used in the compounded drugs and the source of supply of these ingredients.

Canary in the Coal Mine; Why Everyone Should Be Concerned Over the Death of Polo Ponies in Florida

By Alan Clock, Senior Vice President, XStream Systems, Inc.

Back in the days before high tech ventilation and gas detectors, one of coal mining’s earliest tools for detecting dangerous levels of methane gas in a mine shaft was a canary. Basically if the bird died, miners had to get out the shaft, quickly.

In a tragic 21st century adaptation of this low tech scenario, last Sunday in Florida, 21 polo ponies died from what is being initially reported as injections believed to be of a steroid derivative potentially contaminated with a toxin. Details are still sketchy and forensic tests are being conducted but this was not a random or unfortunate mistake of spoiled feed or un-potable water, but likely an unintentional mass poisoning at the hands of trained animal healthcare professionals through medications.

According to published reports, apparently prior to the incident, shots were injected by a Team Veterinarian and are suspected to be the cause of this toxic reaction and heart failure in these horses. It is still not clear as to why and for what purpose the horses were receiving the injection.

Bear in mind that these horses are some of the most pampered equines on the planet. Their diet and exercise are closely monitored and regulated by their very demanding owners. Most polo ponies live and receive a higher level of care than 95% of the world’s human population. Their average value is well over $100,000 each, which make this a $2.1m tragedy presumably caused by contaminated product that was thought to enhance their health and performance.

Why is this important to humans? Much like the miners of long ago, we humans are basically sharing the medications literally and figuratively that are used on animals. Although not specifically shared, most of the raw materials and basic production of our medications are identical or the same. Similarly the value and supply chain of medications share many commonalities. Basically, if the high priced pampered pets of the rich can receive contaminated pharmaceuticals, so will humans.

Just like the heparin contamination that caused over 250 deaths in the United States last year, we should take heed of this equine tragedy and realize that our safety is in peril. The drugs that we consume must be protected and analyzed within their supply chain so that we have a level of confidence in the products we are taking to make us or keep us healthy. Not unlike the miners of the 21st century, it is time to protect ourselves with modern technology instead of relying on a canary or in this case a polo pony to keep us safe.

Tainted Drugs Kill 21 Horses in Florida

(Details Developing)

Various news sources, including the South Florida Sun Sentinel, are reporting that as many as 21 horses have died after receiving injections of a drug from an Argentine Veterinarian. It is believed that shots from the veterinarian, who is not licensed in the United States, may have been tainted with some sort of toxic agent.

The horses, or pedigreed polo ponies, belonged to a single Venezuelan team competing in the U.S. Open Polo Tournament at the Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington, Florida. Each of the horses is estimated to be valued in excess of $100,000.

Fourteen of the horses collapsed on the polo grounds before the start of their scheduled match and seven others died at or while in route to an equine animal hospital several hours later. Efforts to treat the horses at the polo grounds and the hospital were unsuccessful.

The story and details are still developing but Florida officials are conducting necropsies and blood analysis on the animals to determine what specifically caused their death.

It still remains to be determined if the drugs that were injected were legal in the US, where they came from and the source of contamination of the drug.

This tragedy seems to be a harbinger of concern as it relates to medication and product safety for both animals and humans in the United States. The issue of counterfeit, adulterated and tainted medications worldwide continue to kill and injure hundreds of thousands of people and animals annually and now appears to be poised to significantly impact the population here in the United States. There is little distinction between human and animal medications as it relates to the production of pharmaceuticals, any issue that impacts one group of consumers will ultimate impact the other.

XStream believes that materials analysis of all medications within the supply chain (production, distribution and dispensing) is vital as it relates protecting all health care consumers from counterfeit, adulterated and contaminated medications.

Prescription Drugs Kill 300 Percent More Americans than Illegal Drugs

Death by prescription is on the rise. An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together.

This trend is mirrored nationally as the DEA confirms that the number of people abusing prescription drugs in the United States has jumped 80 percent in six years to seven million.

While illegal drug use is down with teens, prescription abuse is on the increase. Prescriptions are often obtained without a prescription at an online pharmacy. This year, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that of the 365 websites that advertise controlled substances, 85% of them do not require a doctor’s prescription.

In answer to this growing problem the senate passed the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act to curb online prescription drug trafficking, abuse, and availability. The recently passed bill amends the Controlled Substance Act by requiring face-to-face prescribing, DEA-endorsement before a pharmacy can dispense, and stiffer penalties for violators.

The bill was named after Ryan Haight, a California honors student who died from an overdose of the painkiller Vicodin he obtain over the internet by posing as a 25 year old man with chronic back pain.

We at XStream System applaud this legislature to protect our citizens and encourage consumers to purchase prescriptions only through licensed brick and mortar pharmacies or online pharmacies certified through Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS).