National Poisons Centre poised for bigger role

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Learning Curve: Perspective
The New Straits Times - May 4, 2016

PUSAT RACUN NEGARA (PRN, National Poisons Centre) celebrated its 20th anniversary in a rather subdued manner recently amid the current uncertainties.

In 1995, the then education minister, who is the current prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, launched the centre at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

PRN started with great optimism, with full endorsement from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health. Later the Ministry of Science. Technology and Environmental and Ministry of Agriculture were involved as there were issues of pollution and dumping of toxic chemicals leading to widespread (potential) poisonings. Previously, the issues were treated sporadically, almost piecemeal with no dedicated services and personnel available to respond on demand.

PRN changed all that. The first dedicated national poison centre in the country, it slowly but surely shaped its destiny, and that of the nation in the context of poisons-related incidences, from prevention to treatment.

This involves research (basic and applied), fieldwork as well as training and education. It adopted an apt tagline, Creating Health!, to drive the mission of eliminating cases of poisonings at all levels of society. The weekly newspaper column, Poison Control, was started in NST to bring current issues to the attention of the public.

With the aim of creating smoke-free areas nationwide, PRN classified "tobacco" as a poison that is deadly - the primary cause of millions of premature death was due to smoking cigarettes.

PRN’s brainchild, Kelab Nafas Baru, directed efforts towards preventing underage children from coming under the influence of unscrupulous merchants of death.

Often PRN collided head-on with the tobacco industry -- it was an uphill battle when the industry was adept at employing manipulative tactics amid a very weak tobacco-controlled environment. But there is no substitute for heightening awareness through purposeful health education at all levels in addition to the “Say ‘NO’ to Smoking” campaign and Quit Clinics.

As a result of these bold initiatives, PRN was internationally recognised to assume the role of Tobacco Clearing House, working closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) -- a rare honour for a poison control centre, where tobacco is almost always under the radar.

Within three years of the establishment of PRN, WHO also designated it as the WHO Collaborating Centre on Drug Information for the Western Pacific Region. The founding director was made a member of the WHO Advisory Panel for Drug Policy and Management for 15 years from its inception in 1995. These are testament to the fact that PRN is not only an institutional and national pride, but it has also enhanced the educational ethos in its service towards humanity -- a notion no money can buy.

This is imperative because the presence of PRN as an offshoot of the inaugural School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Malaysia is an educational legacy that must be preserved.
After all, “poisonings”, as health-related incidences, belong academically to the discipline of toxicology and PRN is the appropriate site.

Indeed, the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences has two more complementary sites, one dealing with drugs of abuse, and the other, doping control (operations has since ceased).

It means that pharmacy education in USM is well-rounded compared to the others, even at the regional level.

Even with two decades of invaluable experience and expertise developed over time, the future of PRN looks more challenging, given the deteriorating global environment which threatens the lives of so many like never before.

Coupled with more frequent and severe disasters often spewing all types of unrecognised toxic poisons into the environment, the situation can be dire.

This is evident from the statistics collected over the years that show not only the relevance of an institution such as the PRN in the context of current demands but also, more importantly, its uniqueness that has allowed it to evolve quite independently to cope with on-going uncertainties.

Over 20 years, it has cumulatively responded to some 50,000 enquiries, beginning with a modest 94 enquiries in 1995 to an average of 5,000 since 2010.

We can only wish PRN and its dedicated personnel are well-appreciated to realise “Creating Health” in the service of humanity. No doubt, PRN is poised for a bigger role, and this must be turned into reality in the years to come, building on what has been fostered over the years.

Do not make the mistake of reducing its stature because of financial constraints, and “services” are the first to go as they are deemed less important.

It is not so when the question is saddled between life and death, which is what PRN is intended for -- safeguard national wellness.

The writer is founding director of PRN