WA Poisons Information Centre
The WA Poisons Information Centre (WAPIC) provides a 24-hour poisons information service for people in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Specialists in Poisons Information (SPIs) help members of the public, healthcare professionals and emergency services with poisonings and suspected poisonings involving medicines, household products, chemicals, plants, mushrooms, bites and stings and other potentially harmful substances. Many SPIs are pharmacists with specialised training in poisons information and toxicology.
For serious, complex or life-threatening poisoning cases, the service is further supported by specialist toxicologists from the WA Clinical Toxicology Service (WACTS). Together, they ensure callers and healthcare professionals have access to specialist poisoning expertise when required.
WAPIC responds to more than 45,000 enquiries each year, helping people understand the risks of an exposure, whether medical attention may be needed, and what steps to take next.
As part of the Australian Poisons Information Centres network, WAPIC works with centres across Australia to provide consistent poisoning advice, support poison prevention, and identify emerging poisoning risks and trends.
Our goal is to help keep individuals, families and communities safe through timely, evidence-based poisoning advice.
Poisons first aid
Swallowed
If the person is alert:
- Do NOT induce vomiting.
- Bring the product or medicine container to the phone if you can.
Skin exposure
- Carefully remove contaminated clothing.
- Thoroughly wash and rinse the skin with running water.
Eye exposure
- Rinse eyes with running water from a cup or a jug for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Do NOT apply eye drops.
Inhalation exposure
- Get the person to fresh air, without placing yourself at risk.
- Avoid breathing fumes.
Do NOT try to rescue an unconscious person, where a highly toxic or unknown gas is involved, without a breathing apparatus. You may become a victim yourself.
Bites and stings
Poisons factsheets
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Poisons publications
- Exposures to e-cigarettes and their refills: calls to Australian Poisons Information Centres, 2009–2016 (PDF)
- Patterns of poisoning exposure at different ages: the 2015 annual report of the Australian Poisons Information Centres (PDF)
- Prospective study of 101 patients with suspected drink spiking (PDF)
- Assessment of short-term outcomes following unintentional ingestions of “oral contraceptive pills” by toddlers (PDF)
- Health care cost savings from Australian Poisons Information Centre advice for low risk exposure calls: SNAPSHOT 2 (PDF)
- A decade of Australian methotrexate dosing errors (PDF)
- Lignocaine and chlorhexidine toxicity in children resulting from mouth paint ingestion: A bottling problem (PDF)