SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 4, 2011 — The Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) has made training available to members on the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) website. 

The UPCC provides lifesaving poison information to the families and health care professionals it serves. As a program of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah, the UPCC receives calls every day from parents, grandparents, childcare providers, teachers, pharmacists, nurses and physicians in every area of practice regarding poisonings with medication, household and industrial products, and other potentially dangerous substances. 

Dr. Barbara Crouch, executive director of the UPCC, said, “We’re thrilled to make this training available to PCCs throughout North America. The training, which is the result of extensive research and collaboration, addresses some of the most challenging problems specialists in poison information face, and provides them with strategies and tools that can really make a difference in the communication process. From the beginning, we wanted to ensure that we focused on areas that would have the greatest impact on PCC effectiveness. The training was developed by a team of experts at the University of Utah that included faculty from Nursing, Pharmacy and Communication, in addition to UPCC staff. With help from an advisory board of PCC experts as well as other PCC staff from across the U.S., we’ve achieved that goal. Already, we’ve had very positive feedback as we piloted the training. The training will be a great resource for the experts who respond to poison emergencies.” 

The UPCC worked with McKinnon-Mulherin and Agilant Learning to develop the training. McKinnon-Mulherin Inc., a Salt Lake City–based information design company, designed, drafted and developed five eLearning training modules: Welcome, Gathering Information Effectively, Managing Stressful Situations, Communicating with Health Care Professionals and Promoting Adherence through Risk Communication. Agilant Learning, which helps deliver, host and manage eLearning experiences for local, national and global audiences, programmed the modules.