About webPOISONCONTROL®

What is webPOISONCONTROL?

webPOISONCONTROL is an innovative, online triage tool and app that guides users faced with a poison emergency through a series of simple questions to determine the toxicity. It helps you decide what to do when substances are swallowed, splashed in the eye or on the skin, inhaled, or injected, or when there's a bite or sting. After providing the name of the substance, amount, age, weight, specific symptoms and time since the exposure, the user is given a case-specific recommendation. That recommendation could be that it’s safe to stay home because toxicity is minimal, that Emergency Room (ER) evaluation is required, or that further guidance from a poison center (a phone call to 1-800-222-1222) is needed. When it’s safe to stay home, the user is also given information on specific symptoms that are likely to occur and not of concern, and symptoms that should trigger a call to a poison center or an ER visit, should they develop.

In August 2016, The American Journal of Emergency Medicine published an article titled "webPOISONCONTROL: can poison control be automated?" The article analyzed the first 9,256 webPOISONCONTROL cases. The study found the app is safe, quick and easy to use. Over 1.1 million people have used webPOISONCONTROL to get expert help online in a poison emergency. You can find a summary of 156,000 webPOISONCONTROL cases reported in 2020 here.

Learn more about webPOISONCONTROL with our facts and background pages.

Who are we?

webPOISONCONTROL was developed by a group of forward-thinking poison centers. It's the first fully-automated virtual Poison Control. As an interactive tool, it guides you through a specific poison exposure situation just as poison centers would do if you called. The logic, algorithms and recommendations that power the tool are written by board-certified toxicology experts, each with decades of experience in poison centers. The project is conducted under the auspices of the National Capital Poison Center which, since March 31, 2025, provides online help for poison exposures only and no longer operates a call center.

How do I find or download webPOISONCONTROL?

webPOISONCONTROL is an online web tool (available at poison.org) as well as a free mobile app downloadable on the App Store or on Google Play. Parents and childcare providers are encouraged to be prepared for a poison emergency: download the app to your mobile device before you need it, or try it out online! While the triage tool is the unique component of webPOISONCONTROL, the online version has an accompanying pill identifier, nearly 600 articles on specific poisons with toxicity information and safety tips, downloadable poison prevention materials, an interactive dashboard to analyze the 1.2 million cases handled by webPOISONCONTROL, and a summary of national poisoning stats. The site also offers an opportunity to subscribe to The Poison Post^®, a free poison safety e-newsletter.

Why should I seek online advice from Poison Control or call a poison center when there's a possible poison exposure?

Expert guidance at the time of a poison emergency means that the best care is delivered quickly. Without that expert help, too many people just guess - resulting in needless ER visits for those who don’t need to see a doctor, and dire outcomes for those who stay home when they should have sought medical care. It’s widely accepted that expert triage and treatment advice, provided at the time of a possible poison emergency, is both life-saving and cost-saving.

Why was webPOISONCONTROL developed?

Over the past two decades, there’s been a change in the way people access health information and receive assistance during medical emergencies. According to the US Census Bureau, 83.8% of US households owned computers and 73.4% had high-speed internet connections in 2013. Seventy-two percent of internet users look for health information online. Studies conducted by the Pew Research Center show that 64% of Americans own smartphones, and 62% of owners use their phone to obtain health information. Likewise, a growing portion of the population now turns to the internet, instead of the telephone, for answers when faced with a possible poisoning. This shift has impacted poison center call volume – with a 27% decline in human poison exposures reported to US poison centers per 1000 population from 2004 to 2023. While a portion of that decline can be attributed to recession-related low birth rates, undoubtedly much of the decreased utilization relates to evolving information-seeking behaviors, with a distinct move to the internet as a major conduit for health information. Prior to the launch of webPOISONCONTROL, specific case-based toxicity information was not available on the web, and substance-specific information was often inaccurate, to the point of being unsafe. Now, if you cannot or just prefer not to use the phone, webPOISONCONTROL lets you get accurate, case-specific recommendations the way you want to get them.

Will webPOISONCONTROL save money through automation of consults?

While webPOISONCONTROL was developed to expand access to accurate poison center guidance, providing an online portal for those who prefer not to call, a secondary benefit was anticipated and realized. Poison Control online provides recommendations at a lower cost per human poison exposure case compared to personnel-intensive call centers. Further, by reaching more people during a poison emergency, the cost-benefit (benefit/cost ratio) of providing guidance for poison exposures increases.

More than a dozen studies have demonstrated cost savings attributable to US poison centers in the range of $6 to $36 per dollar spent on poison center services.

• A 2012 Lewin Group report set the return on investment at $13.39 per dollar spent (including medical care savings and reduced productivity loss), or $1.8 billion/year. These savings were attributed to 1) avoided medical utilization such as unnecessary ER visits ($752.9 million), reduced hospital length of stay due to poison center guidance ($441.1 million), prevention of poisonings ($23.9 million), and reduced work-loss days ($603 million).

Despite providing life-saving and cost-saving services, most US poison centers struggle with inadequate funding. As utilization increases, webPOISONCONTROL may begin to offer some relief from the financial challenges that poison centers have faced for decades. The price tag for all US poison centers was estimated at $136 million in 2011, and with healthcare inflation likely approached $153 million in 2015. The 53 US poison centers currently handle 2.08 million human poison exposures annually – about 5700 cases per day. About 44% of human poison exposure cases could potentially be handled online. Three currently unknown factors will determine the magnitude of any potential future cost savings, including: 1) public acceptance of the online Poison Control tool, 2) utilization rates for online Poison Control compared to poison centers that handle calls, and 3) the proportion of online cases that are diverted from poison centers compared to the proportion that are additional users who would not call.

To be clear, webPOISONCONTROL won't replace traditional poison centers. Instead, it augments their services, providing access to those who previously wouldn't call and facilitating continuity of guidance to those who start with an online case but need more help. Ideally webPOISONCONTROL will also free up limited resources so traditional poison centers can deal with the continually increasing severity of reported cases.

Dig Deeper: The State of Poison Centers in the US: Facing Expanding Demands Despite Budget Cuts

How does webPOISONCONTROL determine whether a poison exposure is serious?

webPOISONCONTROL is powered by more than 3000 ingredient-based algorithms, each matched to the corresponding ingredient(s) in more than 209,000 products and substances. More than more than 1.5 million product barcodes (UPCs) are linked in the product database, enabling more accurate and more efficient substance identification (users scan the barcode on the product instead of typing in the name). Additional algorithms, products and barcodes are added daily. The application core, the ingredient algorithms, provide age- or weight-based thresholds for each ingredient. Algorithms also outline the justification for the threshold, list the expected minor symptoms and the symptoms which require further medical evaluation, specify home treatment where appropriate, define the onset and duration of symptoms, and set a risk window beyond which significant toxicity is unlikely if clinical manifestations have not already begun. Specialized logic is incorporated to handle each formulation type, multi-ingredient products, multiple routes (swallowed, eye, skin, inhalation, injection, bite/sting), unknown amounts, unknown weight, and the minimum possible weight for age. Users are encouraged (but not required) to provide an email address to receive a copy of the case and recommendations. The email address also serves as the key to case follow-up. Users are emailed at intervals appropriate to the substance kinetics and urged, for their own safety, to follow a link to a follow-up module. That module gathers information on what was actually done (stayed home, went to ER, admitted to hospital, etc) and what specific symptoms developed, if any. Symptoms are further evaluated and compared to worrisome effects of the poison exposure, triggering a change in the triage recommendation for the case, if indicated.

It may be difficult to imagine the complexity of the engine driving this app. To support it, there are more than 50 operational interfaces that enable tracking, linking and manipulation of products, images, barcodes, specific symptom categorization, algorithms, thresholds, and case data. Tools are also incorporated for quality assurance and analytics.

Can I rely on the recommendations I get from webPOISONCONTROL?

Consider webPOISONCONTROL your trusted online resource when someone is exposed to a substance (swallowed, splashed by, inhaled, injected or bitten) that might be poisonous, and you need to know what to do. webPOISONCONTROL was developed by board-certified clinical and medical toxicologists with decades of experience in poison centers. In addition to the toxicologists, Certified Specialists in Poison Information assist with product coding and barcode and algorithm linking.

Each stage of development has been guided by poison experts. These same experts also perform regular quality assurance – reviewing reported cases, recalculating the dose compared to the applicable threshold, assigning free-text entries to standardized symptoms, adjusting outcome coding, updating product entries, and monitoring reports of missing or incompatible information.

What’s more, the webPOISONCONTROL resource is used in many poison centers to handle calls. The participating centers rely on these same 3000+ algorithms, using an expanded view of each algorithm or a "Calculate it For Me" interface to evaluate poison exposures reported by phone.

An intensive online pilot test began on December 30, 2014. Each case entered by the public was carefully evaluated and the user experience monitored. Tweaks were made to enhance the app, removing unnecessary questions and adjusting the presentation to enhance usability. The scope was expanded from pharmaceuticals to also include many household products, and from swallowed substances to eye, skin, inhalation, injection and bite/sting exposures. Triage thresholds are adjusted based on emerging toxicity data and feedback from participating poison centers. Data from the pilot phase demonstrated that this method of delivering guidance for poison exposures was both feasible and safe.

Can I try it out so I'm prepared for an emergency?

Want to see for yourself what webPOISONCONTROL does? Familiarize yourself before the emergency. Click the green “Get help online” button on poison.org. Check “This is not a real case” (see below). That’s the signal to exclude your test case from our poisoning statistics and quality assurance activities. You can also try it out as an app on your mobile device; download the app on the App Store or Google Play.

What information will I need to provide to use webPOISONCONTROL?

The webPOISONCONTROL^® tool determines how dangerous an exposure is based on the information you provide You'll be asked to provide the following:

• Substance (product name and strength if it is a medication) – you can type the substance name, scan the product barcode, or enter the pill imprint code

• Route (mouth, eye, skin, inhalation, injection, bite/sting)

• Amount

• Age

• Weight

• Symptoms

• Time since exposure

• Zip code

• Email (optional, but safer if you provide it because you'll get a summary of recommendations and a link to follow-up)

How long does it take to enter my case and get a recommendation?

The median time it takes to enter information and get a recommendation is just 2.3 minutes.

When should I call a poison center instead of using webPOISONCONTROL?

webPOISONCONTROL’s algorithms exclude some scenarios. Please call a poison center instead if:

• Pregnant

• Multiple substances involved in the poison exposure

• Struggling with self-harm

• Younger than 6 months or older than 79 years

• A pet was exposed

If this tool doesn't address your problem, or if you'd rather talk to a real person, you can always call a poison center at 1-800-222-1222 for immediate and expert assistance (US only). If you're already in a panic, you may prefer the calming voice of a specialist. So don't hesitate to pick up the phone and call a poison center when you need help. A friendly expert is ready for your call, 24/7. And your call is free and confidential.

How much does it cost?

There's never a charge for using the webPOISONCONTROL tool online or for downloading the app to your smart phone. There's also no charge for calling a poison center (1-800-222-1222). Note: If you call an animal poison center for your pet, there may be a charge.

Why won't webPOISONCONTROL eliminate the need for traditional poison centers?

webPOISONCONTROL is focused in scope. It handles unintentional poison exposures in a person who is age 6 months to 79 years, exposed to a single substance, and not pregnant. Definitive guidance is only provided for cases that can be managed at home, without intervention by a healthcare provider. That leaves the more difficult cases – the complex, intentional, nuanced or serious cases - to be handled by the human experts at traditional phone-centric poison centers. In a panic, while some people prefer to get help online, others prefer the human touch.

But there are other reasons the computer won't replace the traditional phone-based poison center. Poison centers do more than handle calls. They also provide consults for healthcare professionals caring for poisoned patients, education for health professional trainees, hazard and chemical/bioterrorism surveillance, public education, and input into state and local responses to emerging substances of abuse, foodborne outbreaks, product hazards, preparedness and planning.

What's a "poison exposure"?

Toxicologists use the term "poison exposure" instead of "poisoning" to refer to an incident involving a person who swallows or comes in contact with a substance that might be poisonous. Contact could be swallowing, splashed in the eyes or on the skin, breathed in, injected or even a bite or sting. Often the substance isn't as toxic as one initially thinks it might be, or the amount taken is so small that no bad effect is expected. Since symptoms may not develop, technically these exposures can't be called "poisonings."

What's been the impact of webPOISONCONTROL on traditional poison centers?

webPOISONCONTROL has had unexpected benefits for the poison centers participating in the project. The implementation of standardized triage algorithms has been the first step towards harmonizing poison exposure triage thresholds between and within poison centers. Not only have these algorithms led to standardization, they’ve also improved operating efficiency as Specialists in Poison Information no longer have to repeatedly take the time (every time there’s a case) to research the potentially toxic dose to determine the safe triage threshold. In addition, training new staff is facilitated by access to more specific triage guidance.

At this time, the volume of webPOISONCONTROL cases has not measurably affected telephone call volume at traditional poison centers. Many webPOISONCONTROL users are individuals who would not have called.

How is webPOISONCONTROL funded?

webPOISONCONTROL is funded entirely by charitable contributions. We depend on the support of individuals, foundations and corporations to maintain the system and expand its scope. Please support webPOISONCONTROL. You can donate online or send a contribution to: National Capital Poison Center, 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Ste 105, Falls Church, VA 22042. The Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable organization. For more information about funding opportunities, email pc@poison.org.