Reflections on the 2011 report of the US National Poison Data System

Abstract

Clinical toxicologists at US poison control centers (PCCs) are an important component of the public health safety net with roles in the provision of poison information, public poisoning prevention education, medical toxicology supervision, professional education, and advocacy. Data is collected during their routine service to the community, and this data is a window to the toxicological well-being of the nation. The December, 2012, issue of Clinical Toxicology contains the cumulative data report culled from 57 U.S. PCCs in 2011 including 2,334,004 individual human exposures to pharmaceuticals, toxins, and chemicals among 3,624,063 total calls. In this commentary, we reflect on the broad scope of the US National Poisoning Data System (NPDS) report, and the changing landscape of medication and drug usage in the US.