Ontario Poison Centre

What Ontario Poison Centre does

The Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) is a publicly funded 24/7 poison control centre operated and supported by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. It serves as the designated provincial poison centre for Ontario, handling over 65,000 poisoning calls annually (66,977 calls in 2020) — approximately 60% of which originate from private homes. The centre is staffed by Specialists in Poison Information with access to medical toxicologists for complex case consultation, and provides services free of charge to the public via a toll-free hotline (1-800-268-9017), a local Toronto line, and a bilingual website.

OPC's product set comprises a 24/7 poison emergency hotline, toxicology consultation for healthcare providers (including a dedicated priority queue for critical cases), a searchable Household Hazards A-Z database covering 50+ substances, annual Top 10 Exposures trend reports segmented by age group, and extensive poison prevention educational resources including First Aid guides, OTC medication safety materials, and pediatric cannabis safety resources. Patient care resources for healthcare providers include antidote guidelines, opioid overdose management protocols, CBRN emergency resources, and Toxicology Times newsletters. A revised IV acetylcysteine (NAC) protocol for acetaminophen toxicity is scheduled to launch April 1, 2026.

OPC operates as a managed-services public health entity rather than a commercial business. Funding flows from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and SickKids hospital operating funds. The centre serves two primary segments: the general public (families, children under 6, seniors 70+) requiring emergency poison assistance and prevention education, and healthcare providers (hospitals, emergency departments, physicians, pharmacists) requiring toxicology consultation. Strategic partnerships with Parachute, Health Canada, the Canadian Paediatric Society, CAPCCT, and the Public Health Agency of Canada extend OPC's reach into national public health initiatives, particularly around National Poison Prevention Week.

Name

Ontario Poison Centre

Legal name

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

Website

https://ontariopoisoncentre.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ontario Poison Centre is a publicly funded, 24/7 poison control centre operated by The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. It serves Ontario residents and healthcare providers via a toll-free hotline, handling over 65,000 poisoning calls per year through Specialists in Poison Information.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poison Control Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Dispatch, Communications & Medical Control Centers (PSAP/ECC) (HLAFANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency Dispatch, Call Center Monitoring & Response Services (HSAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Poison control services
• Toxicology consultation
• Emergency medical hotline
• Poison prevention education
• Public health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Healthcare Service: The Ontario Poison Centre is operated and supported by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto. The service is provided free of charge to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a year, funded through the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and hospital operating funding.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) operates a 24/7 telephone-based poison emergency hotline and provides toxicology consultation services. Operated by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, it serves Ontario residents and healthcare providers with free, real-time expert guidance on poison exposures, toxic substance ingestion, and related medical emergencies.

Product overview

Ontario Poison Centre (OPC) is a 24/7 poison control center operated by The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, offering a unified service centered on its telephone hotline staffed by Specialists in Poison Information. The core offering combines real-time toxicology consultation for healthcare providers with poison prevention education and resources for families. Supporting products include a searchable Household Hazards A-Z database, annual Top 10 Exposures trend reports, and specialized resources for pediatric cannabis safety. Healthcare-specific offerings encompass patient care protocols, antidote guidelines, and a priority queue system for critical cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poison Emergency Hotline
• Toxicology Consultation Services
• Poison Prevention Education

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 65,000 poisoning calls handled annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ParachutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParachute is Canada's national charity dedicated to injury prevention. OPC collaborates with Parachute on annual National Poison Prevention Week campaigns, the Poison Storage Checklist, and the High and Locked campaign for safe medication and chemical storage. Partnership includes co-developed educational resources and materials for distribution.
• Canadian Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicology (CAPCCT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPCCT is the professional association for poison centres in Canada. OPC's Dr. Margaret Thompson serves as President of CAPCCT. The organizations collaborate on Pan-Canadian Poison Centre Annual Reports, clinical guidelines, and national poison prevention initiatives.
• Health CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth Canada works with OPC on cannabis safety messaging, pesticide information, consumer product safety, and public health guidance. Joint initiatives include National Poison Prevention Week and monitoring of contaminants in consumer products including baby food and heavy metals.
• Canadian Paediatric SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canadian Paediatric Society promotes child health and safety. OPC collaborates on poison prevention messaging specifically targeting families and caregivers of children.
• Injury Prevention CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased at the University of Alberta School of Public Health, the Injury Prevention Centre co-hosted the Poisoning Prevention in Canada webinar with OPC and Parachute, focusing on data trends and public health calls to action.
• Public Health Agency of CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAC participates in national poison prevention discussions and data sharing initiatives with Canadian poison centres including OPC.
• Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (Ontario)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOntario's Ministry of Health provides funding and regulatory oversight for OPC as the designated provincial poison centre, ensuring access to poison control services for all Ontario residents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alberta Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS): Provincial 24/7 poison and drug information hotline serving Alberta, operated within Alberta Health Services. Same model as OPC: hospital-affiliated, publicly funded, with toxicology consultation for both public and clinicians.
• Manitoba Poison Centre: Provincial 24/7 poison information service operated by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Same core function and publicly funded model as OPC, serving Manitoba residents and healthcare providers.
• Centre antipoison du Québec: Quebec's provincial poison control centre, providing 24/7 telephone toxicology advice to residents and healthcare professionals. Directly comparable to OPC in mandate, delivery model, and regulatory positioning within a different Canadian province.
• BC Drug and Poison Information Centre (DPIC): Provincially designated poison and drug information centre for British Columbia, operated by the BC Centre for Disease Control. Direct counterpart to OPC, providing 24/7 toxicology hotline and healthcare professional consultation across another Canadian province.
• IWK Regional Poison Centre: Atlantic Canada's regional poison centre housed at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Directly comparable as a hospital-based, pediatric-anchored provincial poison hotline serving multiple Atlantic provinces.

Others

• Parachute: Canada's national injury prevention charity and a close strategic partner of OPC, co-developing National Poison Prevention Week campaigns, the Poison Storage Checklist, and the High and Locked medication-safety initiative. Comparable as a public-facing poison/injury education peer rather than a direct service competitor.
• Canadian Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicology (CAPCCT): National professional association of Canadian poison centres, of which OPC is a core member (with OPC's Dr. Margaret Thompson as President). Sets clinical standards and coordinates pan-Canadian reporting — a governing-body peer rather than a service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• America's Poison Centers (formerly AAPCC): National coordinating body for 55 accredited US poison control centers, operating the national Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222). Broader and more established than OPC, but functionally analogous as a publicly-funded, hospital-anchored toxicology call-center network.
• Health811 (formerly Telehealth Ontario): Ontario's 24/7 free telehealth service providing nurse-led telephone triage and health advice, funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Operates alongside OPC as a broader, non-specialist alternative channel that could absorb low-acuity poisoning calls.
• NHS 111 (UK): UK's 24/7 non-emergency health advice line staffed by trained advisors and clinicians. Broader scope than OPC but functionally analogous as a publicly funded, telephone-first triage service with clinician escalation for poisoning and toxicology cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ON_Poison
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ontario-Poison-Centre-100514042016895
• Instagraminstagram.com/ontariopoisoncentre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-poison-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ontario Poison Centre