Preventing
Accidental Exposure to Regu-Mate® and
Procedures for Safe Handling
Regu-Mate® Solution 0.22%, DIN 00641987, is an
oral progestin used to suppress estrus or as an adjunct to help
maintain pregnancy in some mares. The active ingredient is altrenogest
2.2 mg/ml. It is intended for use in non-food animals only. Because
it can be administered orally and does not interfere with the measurement
of naturally produced progesterone in the mare, Regu-Mate® provides
advantages as a breeding management tool. However, there are some
health and safety concerns when working with this medicine. Each
barn owner or manager needs to ensure that methods and policies
are in place for the safe storage and handling of Regu-Mate®.
The italicized areas in this information sheet are direct quotes
from the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this product (1).
Health Hazard Data - Warning
Pregnant women and others of child bearing age should exercise extreme
caution when handling this product. Acute effects after single exposure
are possible; however, continued daily exposure has a greater potential
for these effects. Acute effects include disruption of the menstrual
cycle, uterine or abdominal cramping, increased or decreased uterine
bleeding and headaches.
People who should not handle this product include: women who are
pregnant or suspect they are pregnant; anyone with thrombophlebitis
or thromboembolic disorders or with a history of these events; people
with cerebral-vascular or coronary-artery disease; women with known
or suspected carcinoma of the breast; people with known or estrogen-dependant
neoplasia; women with undiagnosed vaginal bleeding; people with a
benign or malignant tumor which developed during the use of oral contraceptives
or other estrogen-containing products; anyone with liver dysfunction
or disease.
There are no warnings on the MSDS for men regarding the effects of
Regu-Mate®. However, there are a few research papers which indicate
that there can be some long-term effects on stallions which were treated
with this medicine. Miller et al. found that the testosterone of stallions
was suppressed for 60 days after treatment with this medicine(2).
Therefore, it would be prudent that humans of both genders take the
same precautions to prevent skin and eye contamination.
Accidental Contact
Accidental contact can occur when employees come in contact with
objects contaminated with Regu-Mate®. This begins when an employee
prepares and/or administers the drug, uses a pen to record the treatment,
handles the records, and/or opens doors with hands or gloves that
are contaminated. If the Regu-Mate® is not washed off immediately
or the gloves removed, anything touched can become contaminated with
the drug. This increases the chance of other employees coming in contact
with it. The risk is amplified when a large number of mares are being
dosed and when several dosing syringes need to be loaded or reloaded.
Take care and continuously replace contaminated disposable gloves
with clean ones. The person carrying the Regu-Mate® should not
be simultaneously completing records. A second person should do the
record keeping and handle the doors to the sheds or stalls.
Storage and Disposal
Regu-Mate® should be kept out of the reach of children. Store
at room temperature below 25oC in well-closed containers. Protect
from freezing.
To prevent cross contamination,
- Store Regu-Mate® in a box, location or cupboard away from
all other medications.
- Use syringes dedicated only to the oral medication of Regu-Mate®.
Spilled Regu-Mate® should be cleaned up and contaminated materials,
containers and syringes should be incinerated.
Personal Protection and Hygiene
When administering Regu-Mate®, wear protective clothing consisting
of safety glasses and coveralls, which can be washed or disposed of,
and at least two layers of non-porous rubber or vinyl gloves. Regu-Mate®
is easily absorbed through unbroken skin. Wearing two layers of gloves
allows for disposal of the contaminated gloves and leaves clean gloves
for opening doors, etc.
Hand-washing facilities should be suitably located around the barn/farm
to encourage frequent hand washing. Research at a human hospital showed
that, as the access to a hand-washing facility increased, the hand-washing
compliance increased(3). Thorough hand washing with soap is adequate
in most cases. Antiseptic soaps (e.g., chlorhexidine or iodophor shampoo/washes)
may also be used and should be located at the sink in an easy dispensing
container. Chemical contamination can also occur with other common
medicines, including horse dewormers such as Eqvalan®. They should
be washed off immediately if they come in contact with bare skin.
If workers are required to walk a long distance and open doors to
reach a sink, hand washing usually won't occur and door handles and
other objects will become contaminated.
First Aid Procedures
- In case of contact with eyes, immediately flush with plenty of
water for 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
- In case of contact with skin, wash immediately with soap and water.
Contact a physician.
- In case of ingestion, do not induce vomiting. Seek medical attention
immediately.
Recommendations and Guidelines for the Handling and Administering
of Regu-Mate®
Barn managers should be instructed to post protocols for the safe
handling of Regu-Mate® and other horse medicines in their barn(s)
and ensure that staff are trained and follow the guidelines.
The following methods will help to minimize or eliminate accidental
skin exposure or contamination of equipment.
- Store Regu-Mate® and dosing equipment in a leak-proof container
separate from all other medications and equipment.
- Wear rubber or vinyl gloves whenever preparing, handling and
administering Regu-Mate®.
- Do not aerosolize (spray into the air) Regu-Mate® when removing
air from the syringes.
- Wear several pairs of gloves if you expect to be using Regu-Mate®
when working alone and in several locations – this will allow
you to discard contaminated gloves and use the clean gloves to open
doors, etc.
- Have a second person accompany the person dosing the mares to
assist in opening doors, holding mares and recording treatments.
- Administer Regu-Mate® separately from other treatments.
- Administer directly to the posterior dorsal surface of the mare's
tongue.
- Should an accidental contamination with Regu-Mate® occur,
wash off the contaminated area with soap and water. See First Aid
Procedures for details.
- In large operations where a large number of mares are being dosed
daily, the use of a dosing gun may reduce contamination associated
with loading and reloading of syringes.
References and Reading Material
- Material Safety Data Sheet, Regu-Mate®. Intervet Canada Ltd.
250 Water St., Whitby, On L1N 9T5, 2002.
- Miller CD, Varner DD, Blanchard TL, Thompson JA, Johnson L. Effects
of Altrenogest on Behavior and Reproductive Function of Stallions.
AAEP Proceedings 1997; 43: 197-198.
- Boyce JM. Antiseptic Technology: Access, Affordability, and Acceptance.
Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention website http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no2/boyce.htm
