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The aim of the study was the analysis of exposure due to therapeutic mi. suse registered in Poison Information Centre in 2012. Of all 3084 telephone inquiries 87 were related to therapeutic misuse. The equal gender proportion were noted. More than 50% of calls registered were taken from a lay public. A most common therapeutic misuse was administration of medicine dose higher than recommended, to children of 1-6 y interval and younger, mostly by parents.

A telephone inquires to Poison Information Centre and data from toxicological laboratory of Jagiellonian University Medical College related to cases below 19 years of age in 2010 -2012 were analyzed. 37.3% of 3692 information given were related to children and adolescent toxic exposure. Most telephone inquires concerned youngest children (below 6 years); toxicological analysis were ordered in the oldest group (13-19 years) mostly.

There were 10 636 toxicological information given in 2004-2008 by the Poison Information Center Jagiellonian University Medical College. 538 of them concerned NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs); 336 cases of NSAIDs ingested alone and 202 co-ingested with other drugs and/or with ethanol. 58,9% of them were intentional and 29,6% were accidental. Children (1-6 years) and adolescents (15-19 years) were mostly involved.

Poison information centres (PIC) provide telephone advice on the treatment of poisonings to the lay public and medical professionals. The number of inquiries increases every year. Poison Information Centre of Collegium Medicum of Jagiellonian University in Krakow provided 1611 items of advice in 1999 and 2263--five years later--in 2004. Each incoming call is recorded and documented by standardized protocol. Another aspect of PIC activity of is prevention and education. Inquiries protocols' analysis shows the most frequent reasons and circumstances of poisonings. Thus, it is possible to conduct appropriate prophylactic campaigns. The above aspects of activity of PIC do not bring direct financial benefit. There is one index which shows that PIC saves the money. There were 335 cases in 2004 (above 50% consulted lay public) when unnecessary hospital admissions were prevent. It should be noted that the others were refer to proper specialist. This aspect of PIC's activity significantly decreases the costs which should be paid in any medical intervention.

A rules of telephone poison information service for general public and telephone toxicological consultation for medical staff, mainly physicians, are presented in the study. Guidelines for call management: necessity of caller assessment while dealing with information given to the general public and factors that influence successful telephone encounters are presented. The types of questions that are appropriate to ask about patient, considering both the patient state and the toxin(s) involved while dealing with a telephone toxicological consultation are also presented.

The role of toxicological information consisting of chemical substance toxicity, clinical signs and symptoms, treatment and diagnosis of poisonings is presented in the study. These data are collected in computer programmes TOKSY 5, TOKSY7 (MacroSoft Warazawa) which together with American CCIS data base (MICROMEDEX, Denver, Colorado) and IPCS INTOX Database are helpful instrument while giving the toxicological information or/and medical consulting. All cases are registered in IPCS (International Programme on Chemical Safety) INTOX SYSTEM data base that enables epidemiological analysis and also an evaluation of economical and social effects caused by poisonings.