Title 23. POISONS INFORMATION- ORGANIZATION & INFORMATION RESOURCES.pdf ✅

PHARMD GURU Page 2 LOCATION:  The Centre should be located at a leading hospital with emergency & intensive care services as well as the medical library and lab.  It should be linked directly with the hospital department where poison patients are treated.  The lab facilities of such hospitals should allow toxicological analysis.  It should operate 24hrs a day all year round. STAFF:  PIC needs a multidisciplinary team of poison information specialist lead by physicians with toxicological experience.  The team may include physicians, nurses, analysts, pharmacists’ veterinarians and other scientists from various fields including biology, chemistry, medicine and pharmacology.  A poison information specialist helps to prepare & provide information & advise on preventing and dealing with poisoning.  A poison information specialist should work under the supervision of medical toxicologist.  Minimum of 2 poison information specialists should be on duty to answer calls. EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES:  Suitable office furniture & facilities for the storage of confidential data.  Specific areas should arrange for answering telephone enquiries, consultation with patients, and preparation of documents, staff meetings and secretarial and administrative work.  Additional desk space is needed at centers using computer equipment and online databases, air conditioning and humidity control may also be necessary.  PIC’s should their own libraries & facilities for handling and reproducing documents.  A fax machine is necessary for communicating the information rapidly among centers and hospitals during emergency.