Welcome: Digital Resources for Health Care Professionals from the Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center

Every year, U.S. poison centers handle almost 2.5 million poison exposure cases affecting individuals of all ages. Health care providers, including nurses, play an important role in reducing the number of poisonings that occur at any age. Nurses are often on the front lines of identifying, managing, and educating patients about toxic exposures from medication errors to household chemicals. By calling 1-800-222-1222, residents and health care facilities are immediately connected to the MA/RI Poison Center (MARI PC). Specially trained staff members respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to address questions and concerns related to poison exposures.

In 2024 alone, MARI PC managed almost 45,000 total calls. Over 9,100 of these calls came directly from a health care facility or a medical professional in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Poison experts at MARI PC respond to poison emergencies and answer poison-related questions about medications, household products, and other potentially dangerous substances. Callers are referred to the appropriate health care providers or emergency room when needed. The Center also works closely with physicians and emergency room staff to diagnose poisonings and treat people who have been poisoned. Together we can rededicate ourselves to making this poison center a pivotal part of injury prevention in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We hope that you will choose to support the mission of the Center and that you will continue to use our services frequently. 

This digital resource page is designed to equip nurses and other health care professionals with easy access to poison prevention tools and links to inform themselves and the patients they serve. 

Information & links about the poison center:

  • Learn a brief overview about the MA/RI Poison Center and how we can help you as health care professionals in this self-guided presentation.
  • We can send free educational materials including brochures in various languages, magnets, and stickers. Click HERE to access the order form. 
    • Digital versions of our English and Spanish brochures can also be found on our website. 
  • We post daily poison prevention content on social media. Please follow us to get tips added to your homepages:
  • Sign up for our seasonal newsletters HERE, where you can get seasonal poison prevention tips delivered right to your inbox!
  • View other resources here.

      To share with patients, caregivers, and others:

      Please consider donating to the MA & RI Poison Center.

      Dwindling support from state and local government, as well as financial pressure on hospitals, have forced many poison centers to close. In fact, since FY12, federal funding to America’s Poison Centers has been cut by 36% in addition to cuts at the state level. Unless the MA & RI Poison Center obtains additional funding, the potential for closing this center is real.

      The Poison Center is a critical part of Massachusetts and Rhode Island’s public health infrastructure. The Center is an important partner in preventing poisoning fatalities due to opioids, suicide attempts, unintentional pediatric poisonings, senior medication errors, occupational poisonings and more. I hope that your institution will choose to financially support the Center and ensure that your patients, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists will continue to have access to our services. Without financial support from institutions like yours, the Poison Center will be forced to close its doors.

      You can donate through our online portal or through check. 

      Please make checks payable to: “Massachusetts & Rhode Island Poison Center”

      And send payment to: MA/RI Poison Center

                                          Mailstop 3025

                                          300 Longwood Ave.

                                          Boston, MA 02115

      Thank you for supporting the MA & RI Poison Center!