IPC Fact Sheet
IPC keeps the public safe from poisoning harm. Our expert-led helpline provides treatment recommendations to the public and healthcare providers.
With our dedicated team of experts, IPC saves lives and improves patient care. IPC has a critical role in the health and well-being of residents across the Illinois. We save Illinoisans $100 million annually by preventing unnecessary utilization of healthcare resources.
2025 Cases
- IPC managed 73,500 cases.
- 69.4% of those cases were for advice on treating someone exposed to a potentially harmful substance.
- IPC staff made 83,000 follow-up calls to callers from the public and healthcare facilities.
About 36% of poison exposure calls involve children ages 5 or younger. IPC’s helpline experts resolved 92% of the poison exposure calls from the public over the phone, eliminating the need for a referral to a healthcare facility. This high success rate prevented an estimated 31,300 emergency department visits in 2025.
Helping Healthcare Professionals
Medical professionals throughout Illinois turn to IPC for specialized consultation services in the management of poisoned patients. Healthcare professionals called the IPC on:
- 21,500 exposures originated from a healthcare facility.
Top 10 Substances in Exposures
The top three substances involved in exposures reported to IPC are analgesics, cleaning substances and antidepressants. Here’s the complete list of top substances involved in exposures in 2025:
- Analgesics (pain killers): 9,692
- Household Cleaning Substances: 5,375
- Antidepressants: 5,246
- Cardiovascular Drugs: 5,212
- Sedative/Hypnotics/Antipsychotics: 4,560
- Cosmetics/Personal Care Products: 4,081
- Antihistamines: 3,991
- Stimulants and Street Drugs: 3,188
- Foreign Bodies/Toys/Miscellaneous: 2,910
- Alcohols: 2,829
See our 2025 fact sheet.