Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

Call this hotline in a poison emergency

Pharmacy Regulation Resource, June 23, 2004

Post the national poison hotline in your pharmacy and call it in the event of a poison emergency, such as when a patient accidentally ingests a poisonous substance or takes the wrong medication.

The toll-free number-800/222-1222-connects callers directly to their local poison control center, says Chris Falk, spokesman for the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). Each poison-control center has a local number, but patients can take the 800 number with them and obtain access to the nearest center anywhere in the country.

You can also receive drug-interaction information from counselors at a local poison-control center.

Tip: Call 800/222-1222 and speak with an educator to get prevention information as well as stickers and magnets you can use to remind patients and staff about the poison-control hotline.

The hotline was established in 2002 as a result of the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act of 2000. Congress intended to link all 62 U.S. poison-control centers together with one common number, giving U.S. residents easier access to a poison center, Falk says.

Most Popular