Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center Celebrates National Poison Prevention Week

The Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, along with the nation’s 54 other poison centers and the American Association of Poison Control Centers, is participating in the 57th National Poison Prevention Week, March 17-23. This week has been nationally designated to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them.

“The Arizona Drug and Poison Information Center has done a great deal of work in the area of opioid misuse and abuse, launching one of the nation’s first opioid hotlines, the Arizona Opioid Assistance and Referral Line, in the last year,” said Steven Dudley, PharmD, DABAT. “Poison centers are crucial in dealing with new and emerging drugs and poisoning trends nationwide, and the opioid epidemic is one area where we can provide guidance and answers to questions that the public or providers may have.”

The top three tips the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center recommends for preventing opioid overdose include:

• Prevention. Do not combine opioids with similar medicines (e.g., benzodiazepines) or alcohol. Call the Arizona Opioid Assistance and Referral Line at 1-888-688-4222 for questions or concerns regarding opioids and opioid use.
• Recognition. Learn the signs of an opioid overdose (e.g., slow or no breathing, no response to stimulation, blue/pale skin, lips or nails) and call 911 immediately if someone cannot be awakened.
• Response. Keep naloxone handy for yourself or others who may be at risk.

To prevent poisonings, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center recommends the following:

• Be prepared for an emergency. Keep the national, free Poison Help phone number at your fingertips by saving the number in your mobile phone: 1-800-222-1222.
• Practice safe storage habits. Always store medicines and hazardous substances where children cannot access them, up, away and out of sight. Keep these substances in their original, child-resistant containers.
• Avoid bites and stings. Be aware of the peak movement times of rattlesnakes, watch where you put your hands and feet, and leave wild animals alone.

In 2018, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center received more than 30,000 calls and treated 70 percent of callers at home, saving people time and money. Specially trained pharmacists answer all calls to the Center. In addition to lifesaving services, poison centers also provide educational outreach to prevent poison emergencies and inform the public about the dangers of poisons.

During this year’s National Poison Prevention Week, the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center invites the public to request free educational materials, including Poison Help magnets and stickers, by visiting their website.

Remember to follow National Poison Prevention Week on social media by following #PoisonHelp and #NPPW19 on Twitter and liking the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Save the Poison Help phone number (1-800-222-1222) contact information in your phone by texting POISON to 797979.

About the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy

The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy is the premier pharmacy college in the Southwest, and one of the top in the nation, focused on drug discovery, toxicology, pharmaceutics, outcomes sciences, pharmaceutical education and research through interprofessional training and collaborative public/private partnerships. Preparing pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in undergraduate, professional, graduate and post-doctoral programs, the college embraces an entrepreneurial spirit, providing tailored educational opportunities to broaden students' experiences. As the first health sciences college at the UA, the college has a long history of improving science and health both in Arizona and around the world. For more information, please visit pharmacy.arizona.edu

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs approximately 4,000 people, has approximately 800 faculty members and garners more than $140 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram)