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

PHARMD GURU Page 1 POISONS INFORMATION- ORGANIZATION & INFORMATION RESOURCES DEFINITION:  The poison information Centre is a specialized unit providing information on poisoning to the whole community. FUNCTIONS:  Provision of toxicological information and advise.  Management of poisoning cases.  Provision of laboratory analytical services.  Toxicovigilance activities.  Research education and training in the prevention &treatment of poisoning.  Patient management.  Drug information and pharmacovigilance. BENEFITS:  It offers considerable direct health benefits by reducing morbidity & mortality from poisoning.  Specific antidotes, therapeutic agents and medical equipment can be made more easily available through coordination of stocks.  Help to prevent the unnecessary use of special antidotes and of sophisticated and expensive treatments.  Access to information and advice at poison information centers stimulates the interest of local communities and makes them more committed to the prevention of poisoning.  Help in promoting the awareness of special requirements concerning the control and regulation of chemicals. DRUG & POISON INFORMATION
PHARMD GURU Page 2 ESTABLISHING A POISON INFORMATION CENTER:  A poison information Centre should be available in every country irrespective of its size or population. 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.
PHARMD GURU Page 3  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. ORGANIZATION & OPERATION:  The effective function of a poison information Centre depends on the availability of an adequate volume of evaluated data to furnish a basis for the advice given.  PIC’s should establish a mechanism for obtaining access to adequate data on commercial products from manufacturers and should be regularly updated &its confidentiality protected.  Once a PIC becomes operational, i.e. able to offer an emergency response service, it should function around the clock.  The information handled by PIC relating to manufactured products and patients, must be considered as confidential.  Rapid identification of poisons or type of poison involved in an emergency is one of the center’s main tasks.