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Get immediate help for possible poisoning or overdose

In the United States, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for suspected poisoning or overdose; do not wait for symptoms. Call 911 if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened.

Supporting guidance: HRSA: what to do for possible poisoning ↗America’s Poison Centers: emergency warning signs ↗

Understand the situation

What may help answer the question

Identify the part of the process

Prescribing selects the medicine and instructions; dispensing supplies it; administration is giving or taking it. Compare the order, pharmacy label or dispensing record, and what was actually given or taken.

Supporting guidance: AHRQ PSNet: medication errors and adverse drug events ↗

Review what you actually use

Bring the containers and list prescriptions, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbs, and supplements, including occasional use. Explain actual doses, timing, missed doses, and difficulties, even when they differ from the recorded list.

Supporting guidance: AHRQ: reviewing medicines and supplements ↗

Get instructions for this medicine and situation

Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about unclear or missed doses. Do not improvise a replacement dose, double a dose, or start, stop, or change treatment based on this guide. Possible overdose requires immediate Poison Help advice.

Supporting guidance: FDA: managing medicine benefits and risks ↗HRSA: what to do for possible poisoning ↗

Clarify effects, interactions, and monitoring

Ask what improvement to expect, which reactions need urgent attention, and whether tests or follow-up are needed. Share your allergy history and complete medicine list. A symptom after a medicine needs assessment; it does not automatically prove an error.

Supporting guidance: FDA: managing medicine benefits and risks ↗AHRQ PSNet: medication errors and adverse drug events ↗

Terms in ordinary language

Medication reconciliation: Comparing the recorded medicine list with actual use and resolving differences with the care team.
Route: How a medicine enters the body.
Adverse drug event: Medication-related harm; it does not necessarily mean an error occurred.

Keep the limits in view

This guide supplies no drug-specific dose correction. Advice about missed or extra doses depends on the medicine, formulation, amount, timing, and patient. Poison Help assesses possible poisoning; routine prescription questions and professional complaints use different processes.

Supporting guidance: FDA: managing medicine benefits and risks ↗HRSA: what to do for possible poisoning ↗

Prepare for a conversation

Questions to put in writing

1What is this medicine for, and what dose, route, and timing should I follow?
2Does the prescription match what was dispensed and what I actually take?
3Have my allergies, other medicines, supplements, and occasional products been checked?
4What should I do for a missed dose, an extra dose, or conflicting instructions?
5What effects require help, and who arranges and reviews any monitoring?

Useful information

Records that may help

Ask for relevant existing material. Not every item will exist or be available through the same process.

Medication order and patient instructions
Pharmacy label or dispensing information
Medication administration record, when relevant and available
Current medicine list, allergy history, and monitoring results

Choose a next step

Practical next steps

1
For possible poisoning or overdose, contact Poison Help immediately; use 911 for the emergency signs above.
2
For routine discrepancies, contact the pharmacist or prescribing team for instructions.
3
Compare actual use and the recorded list with a qualified clinician, and keep the corrected instructions.
4
Address current care before choosing any separate prescribing, dispensing, administration, or facility review process.

Choosing a processUse Poison Help or emergency care for immediate poisoning concerns. Use the pharmacist or clinical team for medication instructions, then the navigator for a separate records, billing, or professional-review question.Build a route map →

Source checkpoints

Sources and review scope

The links below support the explanations they accompany. They do not determine which rule or treatment applies to your circumstances. Individual source dates show later checks where only part of a guide was refreshed.