The death of two harness-racing horses in Maine has prompted state regulators to suspend the license of a mail-order equine pharmacy company based in Pennsylvania.
The horses were euthanized after receiving doses of a medication supplied by Rapid Equine Solutions, a board investigator says, that was not prescribed for them and was improperly formulated.
The veterinarian filed a complaint with the pharmacy board, which found that the company was supplying thousands of doses of the drugs to an unnamed veterinarian at a location in Maine. The board found that the company knew or should have known they were being used on horses without a legitimate prescription.
In a decision last week first reported by the Bangor Daily News, the pharmacy board suspended Rapid Equine Solutions’ license to do business in Maine for 30 days.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that in July it instituted a recall of the lot of drugs in question, and would work with the company to prevent further issues. A spokesman for the company could not be reached for comment.