Washington Poison Center (WAPC)

See schedule o.poisoning is the leading cause of unintentional death in the u.s. In 2021, 122,111 calls came into the Washington Poison Center (wapc) and 61,605 cases were managed. The wapc operates 24/7/365, always aware of the latest in poisoning and drug overdose. Calls made to 1-800-222-1222 are answered by medical experts - nurses, pharmacists, and Poison specialists with extensive training and national certification. Board certified medical toxicologists are available for consultation, a unique service providing expertise to any healthcare provider requesting additional information and recommendation. Last year the wapc saved over 41 million dollars in avoidable medical costs by reducing unnecessary hospital visits. To complement our emergency call Center services, we provide educational programs to help prevent Poison and drug exposures:--poison preventionfor parents of young children: over 42% of our calls concern children under 6 years of age. Our program introduces parents to the emergency services of the Washington Poison Center while teaching children about mr. yuk and the importance of asking an adult before eating, tasting, or touching any substances. We focus on the developmental processes that make young children vulnerable to poisoning. We provide yuk boxes that are placed around the state with health and safety educators at a variety of organizations. These presentation kits are used by organizations to educate on harm reduction and medication safety and can be borrowed by the public to give their own presentations.--medication safety in older adults: geared towards adults 60+ and their caretakers, this program and its educational tools promote Poison prevention and medication management strategies for our elderly population. Building on the mantra, "call before you Poison yourself", it uses case studies to highlight dangers when elders make a mistake in their medication routine.--not for kids: wapc created the new not for kids" logo which visually warns children to stay away from the product it is placed on and gives the national Poison helpline as an immediate resource. The wapc public education team is creating a comprehensive not for kids campaign that will educate people on effectively using the logo as a safety tool.