Poison Center Facts

The Maryland Poison Center is part of the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore. Below are some quick facts about the Center and the services it provides.

  • The Maryland Poison Center is certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) as a regional poison center and has provided poisoning treatment advice, education, and prevention services to Marylanders since 1972.
  • The mission of the Maryland Poison Center is to decrease the cost and complexity of poisoning and overdose care while maintaining and/or improving patient outcomes.
  • A quick call to the Maryland Poison Center is faster and a lot less expensive than going to the emergency room. More than 65 percent of all cases reported to the Maryland Poison Center are managed safely at home.
  • The Center is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and is reached by calling 1-800-222-1222.
  • Experts at the Maryland Poison Center manage approximately 39,000 cases a year involving household products, medicines, snake and spider bites, plants, and chemicals in the home and workplace.
  • Pharmacists and nurses with specialized clinical toxicology training staff the Maryland Poison Center. All have been certified by the AAPCC as specialists in poison information. These fifteen specialists have more than 210 years of combined experience managing poisoning and overdose cases.
  • The Medical Director is board certified in emergency medicine and medical toxicology.
  • The Maryland Poison Center promotes poison prevention through educational materials, programs for children and adults, and exhibits at health fairs and events. Education for health professionals is accomplished through classes, in-services, publications, and on-site training.
  • Every dollar spent on poison center services saves $13.69 in health care costs. The Maryland Poison Center, along with the other 54 poison centers in the United States, saves $1.8 billion dollars in health care costs every year. Read the Lewin Group Value of the Poison Center System Report.

Click here to download the Maryland Poison Center Fact Sheet.