The Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) is a 24 hour/day resource for poison information, clinical toxicology consultation, and poison prevention education. Statute provides that dedicated credits, collected from an emergency services telecommunications charge, fund the cost of the Poison Control Center.
During the 2015 General Session, the Legislature appropriated for Fiscal Year 2016, $2,548,400 from all sources for Poison Control Center. This is a 2 percent increase from Fiscal Year 2015 revised estimated amounts from all sources. The total includes $2,150,600 from the General/Education Funds, an increase of 2.4 percent from revised Fiscal Year 2015 estimates.
In addition to statewide compensation and internal service fund cost increases, the following appropriation adjustments were made during the 2015 General Session:
Calls Received, Cost per Call
Measures show the number of poisoning encounters reported to the Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC), which demonstrates utilization. Data shows a decline which is a national trend currently being researched. Speculation is that many individuals are searching the Internet for information in lieu of calling a professional. The number of incoming calls and human exposures has decreased over the past several years at the Poison Control Center. Cost per call increases are a result of the decline in total calls received.
Total Human Exposures
UPCC has the highest utilization of any poison control center in the U.S. with twice as many poison exposures reported per thousand as the national average. This measure is the actual number of exposures, but does not reflect the number of calls (both inbound and outbound) involved in the management of each poison exposure.
![University of Utah Poison Control Center](media/HEdUUPCC1.jpg)
![University of Utah Poison Control Center](media/HEdUUPCC2.jpg)
![University of Utah Poison Control Center](media/HEdUUPCC3.jpg)
The role of the poison control center is to rapidly assess each exposure and make recommendations for treatment. In 75 percent of the cases, the exposure can be managed on-site with telephone follow-up, avoiding unnecessary healthcare utilization.
Prior to FY 2015, an emergency services telecommunications surcharge assessed on all access lines funded the Poison Control Center. With the passage of H.B. 155, "Utah Communication Agency Network and Utah 911 Committee Amendments", during the 2014 General Session, funding for the Center shifted from the surcharge to the General Fund.
COBI contains unaudited data as presented to the Legislature by state agencies at the time of publication. For audited financial data see the State of Utah's Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.