Poison Control Centers Program

This notice announces the opportunity to apply for funding under the Poison Control Centers (PCC) Program. The goal of this program is to reduce poisonings and the harms resulting from poisonings by ensuring that individuals across the United States can connect to a Poison Control Center and obtain expert consultation on preventing and managing poisonings. The objectives of this program are to: 1. Support poisoning prevention activities; 2. Provide high-quality guidance and information to callers to the Poison Help Line; 3. Provide treatment recommendations when poisonings occur; 4. Collect data related to poisonings and poisoning outcomes; and 5. Use data to inform public health and emergency preparedness responses. These will be accomplished by: 1. Maintaining the number of calls received by the Poison Help Line. 2. Maintaining the percentage of human exposure poisoning case calls from health care facilities and practitioners. 3. Increasing the percentage of human exposure poisoning cases with a completed follow-up contact. 4. Increasing national data on poisonings available in the National Poison Data System (NPDS) for toxic exposure surveillance purposes.

You can apply if your organization is in the United States, territory, or compact of free association and is: • Accredited by a professional organization in the field of poison control and complying with the operational requirements needed to sustain accreditation; • Accredited by a state government that has standards for accreditation that reasonably provide for the protection of the public health with respect to poisoning; or • Granted a waiver by the Secretary if the center can reasonably demonstrate that the center will obtain such an accreditation within a reasonable time, as determined appropriate by the Secretary. The only professional organization currently approved to provide accreditation is America’s Poison Centers (the Association). Unaccredited poison control centers (PCCs) are eligible for a grant waiver if they can demonstrate that they will obtain accreditation within a reasonable time, not to exceed 5 years. Native American tribal governments are eligible. Native American tribal organizations are eligible.

Maureen Perkins

(301)443-9163