Although she has no examination room or diagnostic equipment, she has a steady stream of patients - many of whom are in urgent need of care from a veterinary professional with her qualifications. She is well trained in the field of toxicology - the science of poisons and how they affect the body. Some people might consider a job talking on the phone all day to be mundane work. For over 50,000 cases each year, these dedicated professionals provide veterinary personnel and pet owners alike with emergency veterinary services in which every minute could mean the difference between life and death. A critically important initial step in this process is to obtain thorough patient and exposure histories.
Technicians also play a critical role in obtaining case outcome data.
With the help of the center's veterinary assistants, technicians conduct approximately 33,000 follow-up calls each year. In addition to their daily duties, APCC technicians are involved in a variety of ancillary activities. These include writing publications for professional and lay journals, developing new substance management protocols, assisting veterinarians with toxicology-related research, and giving presentations to both the public and the veterinary community. The center was founded in 1978 at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign under the direction of Dr. William Buck, a pioneering veterinary toxicologist. Although initially designed to serve Illinois only, word of the service and its value spread quickly when the center's telephone number was broadcast on a national radio program and appeared on the label of a popular rodenticide.