International Journal of Pharmacy Teaching & Practices 2014, Vol.5, Issue 1, 905-909. 905 Importance of Poison Information Centre and Role of a Pharmacist in Management of Poisoning Amit Sharma*, Vinay Pandit Department of Pharmacology, Laureate Institute of Pharmacy Research Article Please cite this paper as Amit Sharma*, Vinay Pandit Importance of Poison Information Center and Role of a Pharmacist in Management of Poisoning. IJPTP, 2014, 5(1), 905-909. Abstract Poison is a substance capable of producing damage or dysfunction in the body by its chemical activity. Poisoning can be accidental or intentional. In many parts of the developing countries pesticide poisoning, food poisoning, drug over dose, insecticidal poisoning, chemicals and cosmetics poisoning, animals and plants poisoning causes more deaths than infectious diseases. Poisoning with the Organophosphate pesticide is responsible for the majority of deaths in most cases, particularly those from rural areas. Easy accessibility and low cost of the pesticides is one of the common reasons of self-poisoning. Self-poisoning with plants parts, although uncommon globally, is locally popular in some regions. Poisoning may be an attempt at suicide in depressed persons. Other higher groups include the elderly, hospitalized patients, drug errors, workers exposed to occupational chemicals and persons exposed to environmental pollution. Regulating availability of pesticides and improving medical management could have a rapid effect on deaths from self-harm in rural areas. Information and identification of certain products like household products, corrosives chemicals, Industrial chemicals, poisonous plants, animal poisoning (Snakebite, scorpion, spider bite), and look alike products may help in management of poisoning. Management of poisoning is one of the biggest challenges facing by the physicians at present globally. The branch of Department of Pharmacology, Laureate Institute of Pharmacy in collaboration with selected hospital, made the Brochure and leaflets which include the First aid of poisoning, poison prevention tips, identification and presentation of the different animals and poisonous plants in India, which will help in management of poisoning. Keywords: self-poisoning, Pharmacoinformatics, Poison control, Pharmacy services Introduction A Poison is any substance that causes harm if it gets into the body. Harm can be mild (for example, headache or nausea) or severe (for example, fits or very high fever even death) and several poisoned may die. The word poison comes from the Latin word - potare - meaning to drink. Poisoning is the harmful effect that occurs when a toxic substance is swallowed, is inhaled, or comes in contact with the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes, such as those of the mouth or nose. Poisoning, either accidental or intentional is a common cause of admission at accident and emergency departments. Almost any chemical can be a poison if there is enough in the body. Some chemicals are poisonous in very small amount. (For example a spoonful by mouth or a tiny amount injected by snakebite.) Others are only poisonous if a large amount is taken. 1 The amount of a chemical substance that gets into the body at one time is called the dose. A dose that causes poisoning is a poisonous dose or toxic dose. The smallest amount that causes harm is threshold dose. If the amount of a chemical substance that gets into a body is less than the threshold dose, the chemical will not cause poisoning and may even have good effects. For example, medicines have good effect if people take the right dose, but some can be poisonous if people take too much. 2 Exposure to a poison When people are in contact with a poison they are said to be exposed to it. The effect of exposure depends partly on how long the contact lasts and how much poison gets into the body, and partly on how much poison the body can get rid of during this time. Exposure may happen only once or many times. Acute exposure is a single contact that lasts for seconds, minutes or hours, or several exposures over a day or less. Chronic exposure is contact that lasts for many days, months or years. It may be continuous or broken by periods when there is no Corresponding Author: Amit Sharma Dept of Pharmacology, Laureate Institute of Pharmacy, Kathog, Dehra Himachal Pradesh, India. E-mail: amit.clinical@yahoo.com Mobile : +919736022382