Utah Poison Control Center…Your On-Call Toxicology Team

The Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) provides free poison information and educational resources to the entire state of Utah. The UPCC is staffed around-the clock by specialists in poison information (SPIs) who are pharmacists and nurses with specialized toxicology training. Physician medical toxicologists are available 24-hours a day to consult with SPIs and health care providers on difficult and unusual cases. The poison center consults on cases that originate from the public, pre-hospital providers, public health officials, law enforcement, and health care providers. No matter the practice setting, the Utah Poison Control Center is a valuable resource for pharmacists.

Pharmacists in the community and hospital alike can consult the UPCC to help formulate risk assessments and develop care plans for potentially poisoned patients. The expertise of SPIs extends beyond pharmaceuticals. SPIs are also trained to manage exposures to illicit substances, industrial or household chemicals, plants, and contaminated air, water, or soil along with other potential toxins. SPIs recommend observation times, monitoring parameters, and treatments specific to each poisoning scenario. Additionally, the UPCC actively follows patients to ensure poison center recommendations remain relevant throughout a patient’s course. Whether it’s a patient hospitalized following a poly-substance overdose, or a patient who walks into the pharmacy after taking a double-dose of their medication, the UPCC is available for consultation around the clock.

The UPCC also responds to non-urgent information questions. SPIs are trained to answer a variety of questions on topics ranging from drug information, to environmental/occupational safety, and general toxicity. SPIs routinely assist pharmacists with tablet identification, foreign medication identification, antidote stocking recommendations, drug interactions, and drug storage and stability questions. The UPCC also offers a variety of free educational resources available to healthcare professionals and the public. For example, Toxicology Today is a free newsletter emailed to healthcare professionals quarterly and contains current toxicology information. Visit the UPCC website at poisoncontrol.utah.edu to subscribe to our newsletter and access free education materials for professionals and the public.

The UPCC is administratively housed in the College of Pharmacy, University of Utah and is part of the University of Utah HIPAA-covered entity.  As such, the poison center can help manage poisoning exposures, answer information questions, and provide free toxicology related educational resources. Think of the UPCC as your on-call toxicology team for free, fast, expert help 24 hours a day…7 days a week. We welcome your call 1-800-222-1222.

Article Written By Kaitlyn Brown, PharmD, CSPI, DABAT