One Wrong Medication, Five Hours of Guidance
Imagine the pit in your stomach the moment you realize you’ve taken the wrong medication.
This happened to Claire.* She meant to take her long-acting insulin but took an extra dose of short-acting insulin instead, which can cause dangerously low blood sugar.
Claire immediately called 911. The dispatcher, knowing that Washington Poison Center is the first-stop resource for accidents like this, patched her through to our free Poison Helpline.
These are the kinds of calls we handle every day—whether it’s an adult who accidentally mixed up medications, a child who got into something toxic, or a doctor needing lightning-fast advice.
We know exactly what to listen for and how to respond—quickly assessing each situation and guiding callers through their next steps.
Devin, a pharmacist and certified poison specialist, asked Claire to check her blood sugar. It hadn’t yet reached a dangerous level, so he walked her through how to monitor her readings and recognize when to call 911.
For the next several hours, Devin checked in every 30 minutes. With guidance and support, Claire kept her levels within a safe range and avoided a trip to the hospital.
We are able to treat 9 of 10 of callers at home, saving the time, stress, and expense of going to the emergency room. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-government organization, we rely on the generosity of our community to make that happen!
*Name and identifying details changed for confidentiality.