The document discusses the nature of poisons, defining them as substances that can cause harm or death based on dosage and exposure method, including ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. It covers the role of poison control centers (PCCs), which provide immediate telephone advice on poison exposure and have historically evolved from increased poisoning incidents post-World War II. Pharmacists play a crucial role in maintaining these centers, providing emergency information, and managing poison cases.

1. Poison Control Center
Tayyaba Mumtaz
Rashid latif college of Pharmacy

2. What is poison ?
• As Paracelsus, 16 th centaury the father of modern toxicology said,
• “All things are poison and nothing is without poison.
• It is the dose that determines the poison”
• . Thus every drug is potentially a poison when used erratically

3. Poison
• A poison is a solid, liquid or gaseous substance ,which if introduced in
to the living body, or brought in contact with any part produces ill
effects or death by its local, systemic or both types of action.
• This definition is unsatisfactory as a substance in particular dose
causes beneficial effects whereas in the same dose it can cause the
toxic effects.
• Drugs that are used for the treatment of diseases in higher doses will
produce toxicity.

4. WHO definition
• A poison is any substance that causes harm to a living being. This can
result from contact with the body e.g. a caustic, or following
absorption into the body.
• Absorption can occur following ingestion, by passage through the skin
or mucous membranes, by inhalation or by injection.
• A foetus can be poisoned by a substance crossing the placenta.
• Almost any substance can act as a poison if a sufficiently large dose is
absorbed.

5. PCC
• A poison control centre is a medical facility that is able to provide
immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance over the
telephone in case of exposure to poisonous or hazardous substances.
• Poison control centres answer questions about potential poisons in
addition to providing treatment management advice about household
products, medicines, pesticides, plants, bites and stings, food
poisoning, and fumes.
• More than 72% of poison exposure cases are managed simply by
phone, greatly reducing the need for costly emergency room and
doctor visits

6. History of PCC
• World War II there was a proliferation of new drugs and chemicals in
the marketplace, and consequently suicide and childhood poisonings
from these agents drastically increased.
• Around this time up to half of all accidents in children were
poisonings with a substantial number of fatalities.

7. History of PCC
• These factors led to the medical community developing a response to
both unintentional and intentional poisonings.
• In Europe in the late 1940s special toxicology wards were set up;
initial wards were started in Copenhagen and Budapest, and the
Netherlands began a poison information service.
• Poisons Information Services First information Center appeared in the
Netherlands in 1949.VVP 1961, a telephone answering service was
introduced in Leeds ,England. On 2 September,1963, a National
Poisons Information Service was established at Guy’s Hospital,
London..

8. • In the United States the first poison information centre was started in
Chicago in 1953. By 1957 there were 17 poison control centres in the
US, with the Chicago centre serving as a model; these centres dealt
mainly with physician enquiries by giving ingredient and toxicity
information about products, along with treatment recommendations.
Over time the poison control centres started taking calls from the
general public.
• The majority of poison centres were not part of a patient treatment
facility; they strictly provided information.

9. • PCC were established for two reasons: To provide rapid access to
information valuable in assessing and treating poisonings.
• To assist with poisoning prevention
• STAFFING ƒor Pharmacy team
• pharmacist; specialists trained in poison information and in the
management of poisoning emergencies.
• Pharmacy Technicians & Students ƒ Medical team,

10. • Toxicologists specializing in medical toxicology are also available for
consultation. Supporting team
• People trained in library science with computer knowledge. The
poison information centre is a specialized unit providing information
on poisoning, in principle to the whole community.
• Its main functions are provision of toxicological information and
advice, management of poisoning cases, provision of laboratory
analytical services

11. Role of Pharmacist in PCC
• Pharmacist is ideally situated to perform a great public service by
helping to organize and manage poison control centers.
• Most poison treatment centers and many poison information centers
are set up in hospitals.
• Therefore, the logical person to maintain these centers is the
pharmacist who is qualified to set up and maintain the antidotes
needed for the emergency treatment of the ever increasing number
of accidental poisonings.

12. Directions to pharmacist taking telephone
calls for emergency poison information
•I. Cal/from physicians
• a. Give complete information, using pharmacological data available in
the service's library.
• b. Do not depend on memory.
• Check all information with current publications.
• c. Fill in log.

13. II. Calls from lay people
• a. Calm the person. Reassure him.
• b. Give temporary emergency information .
• as is common in lay literature.
• This should never be more than immediate emergency measures;
e.g., in case of lye burn, flush area with dilute vinegar solution and
wash with large amounts of water.
• c. Inform patient to call his doctor or to go to nearest hospital and to
take the container with him.
• d. Advise the patient that the center will follow up the call to doctor
or hospital.