Every day in the UK, hundreds of people seek medical attention after accidental or deliberate exposure to a drug or chemical. Although significant cases of poisoning will be managed in secondary care, many patients will seek help from primary care, either through their GP practice or the NHS telephone advice services. The most common cause of poisoning in adults is deliberate overdose of a drug. Other poisoning scenarios encountered in general practice include accidental exposure (especially in young children), environmental exposure, medication administration errors and therapeutic excess of prescribed or over-the-counter drugs.
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