Clinical toxicology consultation by pharmacists.

The functions of pharmacists in a clinical toxicology consultation service are described. Pharmacists provided three basic services in conjunction with poisonings treated by the emergency department of a children's hospital: (1) assisted with obtaining the history and assessment of the toxicologic proglems, (2) recommended a plan for rational management, and (3) discussed poison prevention with the parents of the victims. Pharmacists were consulted for 189 poisoning cases over a six-month period; 80% of the cases were attended at the bedside and the remainder were monitored by telephone. Drugs were involved in 58% of the patient exposures. Median time for the pharmacist to reach the emergency room after the patient's arrival was 5 to 10 minutes. Physicians and nurses rated the pharmacists' contributions favorably. These results suggest that pharmacists can play an important role in clinical toxicology.