Pharmacy Error Implicated in Polo Pony Deaths
CNN has reported that Francks Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Ocala, Florida, has acknowledged that it improperly prepared medication that was given to 21 polo ponies that died in Florida on Sunday (April 19).
While few details have been provided, a representative of the pharmacy stated an internal investigation "...concluded that the strength of an ingredient in the medication was incorrect." A problem with the pre-event treatment was suspected early in the course of the investigation because of the nature of the deaths and the fact that all 21 horses that received the treatment died, while 5 other horses from the team that were not treated had no problems.
Hopefully more details will emerge about what the actual problem was, as it is not clear what ingredient in the medication has been implicated. Franck's Pharmacy has pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation, and it will be very important to determine how such an error happened. Toxicology test results from the dead ponies will also be necessary to determine if the compounding mistake was indeed responsible for the tragedy. If the pharmacy is found to be at fault, I assume a large lawsuit or insurance settlement would be inevitable, but that's little consolation to the people that worked with those horses.
