the beneficial auxiliary role of poison information centers: stewardly use of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in a time of shortage

background: during the one-year period from may 2008 to may 2009, a nationwide shortage developed which rabies vaccine was not being produced by the manufacturers. in order to manage existing supply, a protocol was established wherein an authorization was required from the regional poison center before vaccine could be administered to a patient. methods: the georgia poison center internal database was accessed for information pertaining to rabies exposure calls for the time of the restriction, as well as the years before and after. results were examined for the total number of human rabies exposure calls received by the poison center, as well as the number of cases in which pep was recommended.  results: during the restriction period, the number of rabies-related calls increased, while the percentage of cases in which pep was recommended, remained consistent. the year following the restriction, the number of rabies related calls remained elevated. conclusion: our regional poison center was able to make a positive impact by reducing unnecessary use of pep in a time of shortage and thereby ensuring that all patients who needed the vaccine were able to receive it. this further shows the potential capacity of the poison information centers to optimize healthcare services.