On Wednesday, October 27, 2004, George Deannuntis '86, RPh, shared his experiences as a poison control
specialist with the students and faculty at the College of Pharmacy.
Although staffed mainly by pharmacists, the Poison
Control Center is a city agency that offers career opportunities for a variety healthcare professionals. Due
to a current shortage, there is a dire need for pharmacists within the agency. New pharmacists are required to
train for 2-3 months initially and become eligible for certification as a Level 1 Poison Specialist after working at
the center for one year. The certification is accompanied by more responsibility in addition to a 10% raise in
salary. Certified specialists can then be promoted to different levels, level 4 being the most senior level.
The poison
center is responsible for a number of things including:
- Maintaining a 24 hour hotline
- Answering drug information questions
- Counseling healthcare professionals on safe medication use
- Dispensing antidotes and vaccines when necessary
- Working with other Public Health Agencies to monitor disease and drug use (find patterns
in diseases and poisonings)
- Work with Office of Emergency Management on bioterrorism threats
Some of the
benefits of working for the Poison Center include:
- Retirement and pension plan
- Special parking privledges associated with a city health employee
- Reimbursements for pharmacy license and renewal fees
- Full-time work week is 37.5 hours and can be done in 3 shifts (3 day work week is possible)
The current salary for new
graduates is approximately $65,000; however, this salary is currently under review by NYS and is anticipated to
increase in the near future. After receiving a Level 1 Poison Specialist certification, there is a $6,000 to $7,000
pay increase. Clinical pharmacists are preferred, but recent graduates are encouraged to apply for employment.
