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HEAD
Tanja Petreska Ivanovska, PhD, Assistant Professor, Pharm. Spec.
Tel: (++ 389) 2 3126 024, ext. 110
E-mail: tpetreska@ff.ukim.edu.mk

ADDRESS
Majka Tereza 47,
PO Box 36,
1000 Skopje, R. Macedonia

HUMAN RESOURCES

  • Tatjana Kadifkova Panovska, PhD, Full Professor,
  • Zoran Kavrakovski, PhD, Full Professor,
  • Marija Hiljadnikova Bajro, PhD, Associate Professor,
  • Tanja Petreska Ivanovska, PhD, Assistant Professor,
  • Marija Karapandjova, PhD, Assistant Professor,
  • Zoran Zhivikj, Master of Pharmacy,
  • Kristina Shutevska, Master of Pharmacy,
  • Ana Marija Bajatovska, Master of Pharmacy.

ABOUT THE CENTER

The Poison Control Center (PCC) is a specialized unit established within the Faculty of Pharmacy – Skopje, to accomplish the needs of the modern society to obtain relevant advice and support in prevention, diagnostics and management of poisonings.

Poisonings can be caused by a large number of substances characterized with different toxicological properties, which significantly complicates the work of health professionals in their handling. Therefore, the existence of an information service is essential. The primary activity is to collect and provide adequate and reliable informations for prompt and correct risk assessment of the poisoning, rational use of diagnostic procedures, treatment and avoiding unnecessary procedures inadequate or even dangerous to humans. In addition, the activity of PCC is to conduct toxicological analyzes according to technical and professional capacities of the Center in cooperation with the applicative Centers at the Faculty of Pharmacy as well as other domestic and international institutions with related activities.

CAPACITIES

  1. pH Meter, Sartorius Basic Meter PB-11, Goettingen, Germany,
  2. Water bath, GFL Labortechnik mbH, Burgwedel, Germany,
  3. Magnetic stirrer with heating, TK22 techno Kartell Magnetic Stirrer, Noviglio, Italy,
  4. Vortex, DragonLab MX-F, Dragon Laboratory Instruments Limited, Berlin, CT, USA,
  5. UV / VIS Spectrophotometers,
  6. Semi-Automatic Photometer, HymaLyzer Primus, Germany,
  7. Semi-Automatic Analyzer BTS-350 ByoSystems S.A. Barcelona, ​​Spain,
  8. Agilent 7890A Gas chromatograph connected to Agilent 5975C Quadripole Mass Detector (Agilent Technologies, USA) and Shimadzu AOC 5000 Plus Headspace auto-splitter (Shimadzu Corporation, Japan),
  9. Other laboratory equipment – digital scales, vessels for micro-diffusions, centrifuges, heating body, thin-layer chromatography equipment and other type of specific and ordinary laboratory glassware.

ACTIVITIES

The main activity of the Poison Control Center is providing services and analyzes in the field of toxicology, collecting and analyzing data about poisonings at national level, development of educational programs and materials of public and professional character as well as giving expert opinions and consulting services, preparation of expert reports, methodological procedures and laboratory analyzes.

  • Scientific-research activity – research and monitoring of the toxicological properties of new substances / drugs and prediction of the risk of exposure to toxic agents on work place and in the environment.
  • Educational activity – it aims to train the research and technical staff within the PCC as well as the clients that have an interest in promoting reduction of morbidity and mortality as a consequence of poisoning established on the principle of evidence-based education and scientific research. Dissemination of knowledge, experiences and skills are in the form of lectures, workshops and seminars, writing and publishing research-based scientific and professional literature.
  • Applicative activity – includes basic and applied research activities in the field of drug overdose and drug abuse. The PCC is also involved in development and carrying out toxicological analyzes, expertise, providing professional laboratory and consultative services about the risk of exposure to agents with toxic potential.

ANALYSES AND SERVICES

  • Provide scientific data related to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of poisoning in the form of written reports, guidelines and protocols.
  • Consultative services for healthcare professionals managing patients with life-threatening poisoning.
  • Consultative services related to toxicological issues in clinical practice associated with prescription drugs overdose, OTC drugs or complementary treatment with herbal products or dietary supplements.
  • Toxicological analyzes (detection, identification, quantification) of potential toxic substances present in different types of samples (biological material, commercial products, water, and etc.).
  • Education and training activities for the research and technical staff within the Center and for consumers in order to raise the public awareness of poisoning control.
  • Education through various forms of activities (lectures, seminars, workshops) appropiate for the medical services personnel and some governmental and regulatory bodies about the adverse effects of drugs related to the applied dose / idiosyncratic drug reactions.
  • Preparation of professional and expert toxicological opinions; professional, informative and educational brochures and articles for poisoning prevention and protection.

The following analyzes and services are carried out within the PCC:

  • Preparation of professional and/or expert opinion for different products and substances,
  • Toxicity prediction of chemicals using computer-assisted methods,
  • Determination of pesticide residues in matrices and products of plant origin by GC-MS,
  • Determination of pesticide residues in fruits by GC-MS,
  • Determination of coproporhyrin in urine,
  • Determination of delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine,
  • Semi-quantitative determination of total phenolic compounds in urine,
  • Determination of hippuric acid in urine,
  • Qualitative analysis of carboxyhemoglobin in blood,
  • Determination of carbon monoxide in blood,
  • Determination of ethanol in breath,
  • Determination of ethanol in urine,
  • Identification of THC, methadone, heroin, ecstasy, benzodiazepines, and opiates in urine,
  • Physicochemical analysis of drinking water quality,
  • Consultative services (instructions for poisoning prevention, protection and management, prescription drugs overdose, OTC drugs or herbal complementary therapy and dietary supplements, advices for management of specific poisonings),
  • Outreach services (transport of specimens to the laboratory),
  • Written instructions of poisoning protection measures,
  • Professional opinion of a toxicology chemistry specialist related to forensic reports,
  • Education and training events (organizing seminars and workshops, publishing articles related to current toxicological issues to provide relevant public information).