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Who Ya Gonna Call? By Nathan Singer You’re working in your pharmacy on a busy Monday night when you receive a frantic call from one of your patients of 10 years. He’s out in the wilderness (miraculously getting cell phone reception) and he has been bitten by a snake. He’s not sure if it is poisonous or not, but he’s sure that your years at UCSF have imparted you with an abundant knowledge of herpetology. He’s feeling pretty odd, but after thinking about it he’s not sure if it’s the snake bite or the wild “funny looking” mushrooms that he picked earlier to go with dinner. Besides Herpetology, those professors at UCSF must have taught you about Mycology as well, right? But not to worry, he’s neutralized the foul fungi with an entire bottle of Pepto Bismol that he keeps in his emergency pack. What? Can you speak up? It’s hard for him to hear you with all this ringing in his ears! So…who are YOU going to call? If your first thought was Poison Control, then you, my friend, are on the right track. If your next impulse was to call 411 to get the number, then you’ve just wasted valuable time that could have been used to help your patient. So, write this number down, and repeat it like a mantra until you know it; 1-800-222-1222. This is the toll-free, 24/7/365 number to the California Poison Control System (CPCS). It doesn’t spell anything memorable (believe me, I tried), but it’s pretty repetitive. Know this number and be ready should you or one of your patients ever need it. The CPCS is a series of four answering sites which are managed by UCSF. The San Francisco division, which is located near SFGH, is under the direction of Dr. Thomas Kearney, Pharm.D., DABAT (Diplomate, American Board of Applied Toxicology), who just so happens to be my RAMPS mentor. While visiting this site I was fortunate to be able to listen in on some calls. After listening to only four calls – a call from SFGH about a patient with a mystery condition, a call from a patient wondering if they took too much cough syrup, a panicked call from a dog owner whose dog ate some plants at the park, and a call from a mother who thought that her daughter may have eaten a desiccant packet – I was amazed by the wide range of problems that the CPCS tackles and the breadth of knowledge that the people operating the telephones must have. In the short time that I was at the Poison Control Center, I realize that this is a highly specialized job with a potential for being very stressful, and I imagine that working the telephone lines is not for everyone. Not only must you be able to keep your cool under pressure (with situations sometimes similar to a 911 call), but you have to know your job inside and out so that you can help patients such as our unfortunate camper. This includes knowing detailed information about animals that bite and sting, plants, fungi, OTC and prescription medications, health and beauty supplies, household chemicals, and much more. The experience was eye-opening, but it only fueled my interest in learning more about toxicology. If you have never had a chance to check out what goes on “behind the scenes”, then I suggest that you take advantage of one of the site visit opportunities offered through UCSF. Not only will you be surprised at what goes on in the daily operations of a California Poison Control Center, but if you ask nicely, Dr. Kearney and the staff at the Poison Control Center just might let you listen in to a phone call. Nathan Singer is a second-year pharmacy student.
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