1. (1) There shall be created three accredited regional poison control centers, one each in the north, central, and southern regions of the state. Each regional poison control center shall be affiliated with and physically located in a certified Level I trauma center. Each regional poison control center shall be affiliated with an accredited medical school or college of pharmacy. The regional poison control centers shall be coordinated under the aegis of the ¹Children's Medical Services Program Office in the department.

2. (2) Each regional poison control center shall provide the following services:

   1. (a) Toll-free access by the public for poison information.
   2. (b) Case management of poison cases.
   3. (c) Professional consultation to health care practitioners.
   4. (d) Prevention education to the public.
   5. (e) Data collection and reporting.

3. (3) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is in the public interest to shorten the time required for a citizen to request and receive directly from designated regional poison control centers telephonic management advice for acute poisoning emergencies. To facilitate rapid and direct access, telephone numbers for designated regional poison control centers shall be given special prominence. The local exchange telecommunications companies shall print immediately below "911" or other emergency calling instructions on the inside front cover of the telephone directory the words "Poison Information Center," the logo of the American Association of Poison Control Centers, and the telephone number of the local, if applicable, or, if not local, other toll-free telephone number of the Florida Poison Information Center Network. This information shall be outlined and be no less than 1 inch in height by 2 inches in width. Only those facilities satisfying criteria established in the current "Criteria for Certification of a Regional Poison Center" set by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, and the "Standards of the Poison Information Center Program" initiated by the ¹Children's Medical Services Program Office of the ²Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services shall be permitted to list such facility as a poison information center, poison control center, or poison center. Those centers under a developmental phase-in plan shall be given 2 years from the date of initial 24-hour service implementation to comply with the aforementioned criteria and, as such, will be permitted to be listed as a poison information center, poison control center, or poison center during that allotted time period.

   ¹Note.--Section 5, ch. 96-403, deletes all references to "Children's Medical Services Program Office" from s. 20.19.

   ²Note.--The Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services was redesignated as the Department of Children and Family Services by s. 5, ch. 96-403, and the Department of Health was created by s. 8, ch. 96-403.

History.--s. 18, ch. 89-283; s. 1, ch. 90-192; ss. 22, 98, ch. 92-289; s. 1, ch. 94-147; s. 97, ch. 95-143.

Note.--Former s. 395.038.