Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can arise from therapeutic and non-therapeutic exposure to drugs or chemicals.

Therapeutic drug toxicity is a common scenario. For example, CNS depression caused by barbiturates can lead to coma in severe cases.

Such drug toxicities may only become apparent after the drug enters the market. To identify and prevent such occurrences, the FDA operates the Adverse Event Reporting System, which accepts mandatory and voluntary reports.

Unintentional poisoning scenarios include exploratory behavior in young children, as well as environmental or occupational exposures.

In contrast, intentional poisoning is more common among adults due to recreational drug abuse, deliberate self-ingestion, or intentional administration of toxic substances to others.

Additionally, errors in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication pose significant poisoning risks.

To minimize such risks, barcodes or electronic readers should be used for medication preparation and administration. A computerized system should also be employed to manage doses, allergy checks, and medication tracking throughout patient care.