Pharmacy error causes deaths of 21 polo horses

Posted on April 25, 2009 in Animals, Health & Medicine, Recalls

Twenty-one polo horses that died over the weekend were given an incorrectly prepared supplement, an official at a Florida pharmacy said Thursday. The horses from the Venezuelan-owned Lechuza polo team were preparing to play in the U.S. Open championship match when they collapsed.

Jennifer Beckett, chief operating officer of Franck’s Pharmacy in Ocala, Fla. released a statement stating that the strength of an ingredient in the medication was incorrect. Beckett did not specify what the ingredient was, although Juan Martin Nero of Lechuza acknowledged that a Florida veterinarian wrote a prescription for a supplement similar to Biodyl. Biodyl contains a combination of the vitamin B12, selenium, and other minerals, and is not approved for use in the United States.

The horses sickened shortly before the beginning of the match on Sunday, exhibiting symptoms of dizziness and heavy breathing after being receiving the supplement. Franck’s Pharmacy is cooperating in an investigation by state authorities and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Compounding pharmacies are not allowed to recreate existing drugs or supplements under patent, an FDA spokesperson said.