Canadian Pari Mutuel Agency Policy Paper-010 (PDF version, 266 KB)
Policy Title
Requests to Collect Official Samples Outside the Retention Area
Date of Issue
Issued: February 1, 2017
Legislative References
Part V of the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations
National Coding System File Number
3840-4
Effective Date
February 6, 2017
Issue
Occasionally, Test Inspectors (personnel designated to collect official samples as part of the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency’s (CPMA) Equine Drug Control Program) are asked to leave the retention area for the purpose of collecting or supervising the collection of an official blood or urine sample from a horse that was chosen to undergo a test pursuant to subsection 161(1) of the Pari-Mutuel Betting Supervision Regulations (the Regulations). This is usually the case when the selected horse is unable to proceed to the test barn for a reason such as the horse is injured or deceased.
Decision
Official samples shall not be collected anywhere other than the retention area established for that purpose.
Explanation
To protect the integrity of the sample collection process, and control the sample collection environment, CPMA’s collection service providers are not to leave the retention area for the purposes of collecting a blood or urine sample.
Rationale
Subsection 159(1) of the Regulations requires the owner or trainer (or their representative) of a horse that has been chosen to undergo a test, to immediately take the horse to a test inspector in the retention area. The retention area is a secure and controlled environment that protects the integrity of the sample collection process as well as the samples collected. Leaving the retention area to collect or supervise the collection of a sample may cause, among many other things, a backup of horses within the retention area and possible health and safety risks. Consequently, CPMA’s designated Test Inspectors are prohibited from leaving the retention area for the purposes of collecting official samples or supervising the collection of samples.